Socio-political issues in the speeches of archpriest Mikhail Cheltsov on the pages of the journal Christian reading during the revolution of 1905-1907

With the onset of the revolution of 1905-1907 the urgent task before the Orthodox Church was to explain the problems of modern life from a Christian point of view and to determine the behavior of pastors in conditions of social and political conflicts. To a certain extent, the fulfillment of this task is described in the articles of the Priest Mikhail P. Cheltsov, who belonged to the well-known “group of 32” St. Petersburg priests. These articles were published in the journal Christian Reading at the height of the Revolution. Proceeding from the fact that Christianity cannot be indifferent to any sphere of human activity on earth, including politics, Fr. M. Cheltsov believed that Christianity does not pursue any special policy of its own, but is obliged to give direction, coverage and judgment to any policy. Without dividing into parties, it is called upon to unite all parties in the cause of common service to the welfare of the people or the state. Defending the necessity and importance of the social activity of an Orthodox pastor, he expressed the following provisions. First, non-partisanship for the pastors of the Church is the first and essential condition for the broadest, most open and integral social activity. Secondly, the broadest participation of pastors in all secular societies, from rural gatherings to the highest state institutions - the State Duma and the State Council. Thirdly, a special emphasis on “the protection by the pastors of all oppressed and slandered before the authorities, the protection of the poor people.”