Orthodox teaching on the commemoration of the deceased as expounded by archpriest Leonid Kolchev

Abstract

The article is devoted to the life and works of Archpriest Leonid Kolchev, a confessor of Empress Maria Feodorovna and rector of the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in Copenhagen. The biographical part of the article introduces the main stages of the life of Archpriest Leonid, which began in Russia and ended in Denmark. The author pays special attention to the moral formation and spiritual ties of Father Leonid in his homeland, as well as to the circumstances that led him to emigration. The article reveals a high pastoral zeal of Archpriest Leonid, who, during his life abroad, took care of the Russian community in Denmark, headed by Empress Maria Feodorovna. The author notes that strict adherence to the Orthodox institutions and traditions of the Church played an important role in preserving the canonical structure of the parish life of the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in Copenhagen, whose rector he was appointed. The second part of the article is devoted to the presentation of the Orthodox doctrine on the commemoration of the deceased according to the book “Secrets of the Afterlife.” Having singled out three compositional and semantic examines traditions of the Orthodox Church, testimonies of the saints about the posthumous fate of Christians and cases from the pastoral practice of Archpriest Leonid Kolchev. The author makes a conclusion that, thanks to the combination of authoritative church institutions and living practical examples, the book “Secrets of the Afterlife” is a valuable tool in pastoral activity. parts in the work of Archpriest Leonid, the author of the article consistently