Elevation to sainthood of the last Imperial Family of Russia
The
canonization of the Romanovs
(also called "glorification" in the Russian Orthodox Church) was the elevation to
sainthood
of the last
Imperial Family
of
Russia
?
Tsar Nicholas II
, his wife
Tsarina Alexandra
, and their five children
Olga
,
Tatiana
,
Maria
,
Anastasia
, and
Alexei
? by the
Russian Orthodox Church
.
The family was
killed
by the
Bolsheviks
on 17 July 1918 at the
Ipatiev House
in
Yekaterinburg
.
[4]
The house was later demolished.
The Church on Blood
was built on this site, and the altar stands over the execution site.
[5]
Canonization
[
edit
]
On 1 November 1981,
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
(the younger brother of Nicholas II) and his secretary, Nicholas Johnson, were canonized by the
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
.
[6]
The two men were both murdered at
Perm
on 13 June 1918.
[7]
[8]
On 15 August 2000, the Russian Orthodox Church announced the canonization of Nicholas II and his immediate family for their "'humbleness, patience and meekness'" during their imprisonment and execution by the Bolsheviks.
[9]
On 3 February 2016, the
Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
canonized Nicholas II's personal physician,
Eugene Botkin
, as a righteous passion bearer.
[10]
Controversy
[
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]
The canonizations were controversial for both branches of the
Russian Orthodox Church
. In 1981, opponents noted Nicholas II's perceived weaknesses as a ruler and said that his actions had led to the Bolshevik Revolution, which caused so much damage for Russia and its people. One priest of the
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad
noted that martyrdom in the Russian Orthodox Church has nothing to do with the martyr's personal actions but was instead related to why he or she was killed.
[11]
Other critics noted that the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad appeared to be blaming
Jewish
revolutionaries for the deaths and equating the political assassination with a
ritual murder
.
[12]
Others rejected the family's being classified as new martyrs because they were not killed because of their religious faith. There was no proof that the execution was a ritual murder. Religious leaders in both churches also had objections to canonizing the Tsar's family because they perceived him to have been a weak emperor whose incompetence led to the revolution, and the suffering of his people. They said he was at least partially responsible for his own murder and the murders of his wife and children. For these opponents, the fact that the Tsar was said to be, in private life, a kind man and a good husband and father did not override his poor governance of Russia.
[11]
Despite their official designation as "
passion-bearers
" by the August 2000 Council, the family are referred to as "martyrs" in Church publications, icons, and in popular veneration by the people.
[13]
[14]
Since the late 20th century, believers have attributed healing from illnesses or conversion to the Orthodox Church to their prayers to Maria and Alexei, as well as to the rest of the family.
[15]
[16]
Gallery
[
edit
]
-
Yekaterinburg
's "
Church on the Blood
," built on the spot where Nicholas II and his family were murdered in 1918
-
Church of St. Nicholas at the Romanov Monastery near the site where the Romanovs' remains were found at
Ganina Yama
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Holy Royal Martyrs of Russia"
.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
. Retrieved
6 June
2021
.
- ^
"Church in Montenegro Marks Centenary of Romanovs' Deaths"
. 24 May 2018.
- ^
"St. Alexandra, Passion-Bearer"
.
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
. Retrieved
6 June
2021
.
- ^
"On This Day in 1918 the Romanov Family Was Killed"
.
The Moscow Times
. 2019-07-17
. Retrieved
2023-06-15
.
- ^
"Church marks killing of Russian tsar"
. 2003-07-16
. Retrieved
2023-06-15
.
- ^
"The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia - Official Website"
.
www.synod.com
. Retrieved
2023-06-15
.
- ^
Yegorov, Oleg (2018-08-01).
"Who among the Romanovs survived the Red Terror a century ago?"
.
Russia Beyond
. Retrieved
2023-06-15
.
- ^
Bychkova, Xenia (2019-08-01).
"Tsar Nicholas II And Thailand"
.
The Postil Magazine
. Retrieved
2023-06-15
.
- ^
"Nicholas II And Family Canonized For 'Passion'
"
.
The New York Times
. 2000-08-15.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
2023-06-15
.
- ^
"Определение Освященного Архиерейского Собора Русской Православной Церкви об общецерковном прославлении ряда местночтимых святых / Официальные документы / Патриархия.ru"
.
Патриархия.ru
(in Russian)
. Retrieved
2023-06-15
.
- ^
a
b
Massie, Robert K.,
The Romanovs: The Final Chapter
, Random House,
ISBN
0-394-58048-6
, 1995, pp. 134-135
- ^
King, Greg, and Wilson, Penny,
The Fate of the Romanovs
, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., p. 495
- ^
"Patriarch Aleksy Visited the Place Where the Remains of the Royal Martyrs Had Been Burned"
Archived
2005-08-25 at the
Wayback Machine
, Yekaterinburg, September 23, 2000,
Pravoslavie.ru
- ^
GROUNDS FOR CANONIZATION OF THE TSAR FAMILY
Archived
2009-05-26 at the
Wayback Machine
EXCERPTS FROM THE REPORT OF METROPOLITAN OF KRUTITSA AND KOLOMNA
JUVENALY
(Posted originally on the official web site of the Moscow Patriarchate)
- ^
Serfes, Demetrios (2000).
"
Miracle of the Child Martyr Grand Duchess Maria
"
.
The Royal Martyrs of Russia
. Archived from
the original
on February 13, 2006
. Retrieved
February 25,
2007
.
- ^
Serfes, Demetrios (2000).
"A Miracle Through the Prayers of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarevich Alexis"
.
The Royal Martyrs of Russia
. Archived from
the original
on February 6, 2007
. Retrieved
February 25,
2007
.
External links
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Victims
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Perpetrators
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Background
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Legacy
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