Your further question is as follows: is it possible to bury according to the Christian rite and commemorate a Christian person who suddenly died in the drinking of wine? For among you, as you say, many priests, counting such as suicides, do not bury with Christian burial, and do not commemorate them. You ask me to answer this for the sake of Christian love and benefit, and to resolve this perplexity according to the rules. I answer: I had a great desire to resolve this perplexity of yours according to the sacred rules, but due to my lack of skill I could not find it in the sacred rules, and therefore I am perplexed how you can answer this. In the two Saturdays of remembrance, Meatfare and before the Sunday of Pentecost, when all the departed Orthodox Christians are commemorated, various images of sudden deaths are mentioned, with which the Catholic Church commemorates the dead Christians and prays to God for the salvation of their souls. The same image of death, i.e. those who died suddenly from much drinking, is not mentioned, and from this we can conclude that the Holy Church does not pray for such. Of these, I think, the Holy Spirit says through the Apostle Paul: "Or do you not know, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Neither harlots, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor covetous, nor thieves, nor drunkards, shall inherit the kingdom of God." A person who suddenly dies while drinking wine, without confessing his sins and without communing of Christ's Holy Mysteries, is he not guilty of causing himself a sudden death? If he had drunk a little wine with abstinence, he would not have died such a terrible and terrible sudden death. It seems that such a person is not far from a suicide, which is why your priests do not dare to bury them according to Christian custom and commemorate them. Therefore I beseech your love not to be troubled by this: for this thing is under great doubt and perplexity. If anyone could find a definition of this thing in the sacred canons of the Church, then no one would have any doubts about it, but would follow the Church's decree with full confidence.

Your further question is as follows: can a priest absolve a humble penitent for his infirmity without imposing an epitimia and allow him to commune of the Holy Mysteries, or is this impossible?

I answer: Your question seems to me incomprehensible: does this man repent of great sins, or of small ones, and does he have spiritual or bodily weakness? Let it be that he has bodily infirmity. If his bodily infirmity is such that he is already approaching death and does not have time to bear penance for his sins, then, even though he has great sins, he humbly repents of them, the priest must absolve him of his sins without penance and commune him of the Holy Mysteries. If he is not in such extreme weakness and can suffer an epitimia, then without an epitimia the priest should not absolve him, for an epitimia is the third part of the sacrament of repentance. And one should not leave it without mortal need. What is an epitimia and how it is prescribed for sins, this should be explained in more detail. The canons of the holy Apostles, which St. John of Damascus places on a par with the books of the Divine Scriptures, all the sanctified are expelled for sins from the priestly degrees, while the laity are excommunicated from communion in church prayers and from communion of the Divine Mysteries. On the basis of these apostolic canons, the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church corrects the entire multitude of Orthodox Christians, both sanctified and unsanctified, if it should happen that any of them should fall into certain sins, guided by the Holy Spirit, from their sins in the following way: the sanctified, i.e., bishops, priests and deacons who have fallen into minor or major sins, she either suspends them from the priesthood for a time for minor sins. or for great sins he forbids him to perform the sacrament until death, but does not excommunicate him from communion of the Divine Mysteries. Monks and lay Christians are excommunicated from communion of the Divine Mysteries for a short time for minor sins, but for great sins for a long time; the Holy Church does not assign any other rule or any other epitimia for sins to the unsanctified. The reason for this is as follows: from the days of the Apostles, the ancient Christians for a long time throughout the Church of Christ very often communed out of their ineffable love for Christ the Savior. When they happened to fall into minor or great sins, then for a short or long time they were excommunicated from Divine Communion and from standing in the Church with the faithful, and were placed in places of repentance determined by the Church: at first they stood before the doors of the church and, falling down with tears, asked all who entered the church to pray to God for them, that God would forgive their transgressions; in time they were allowed to stand in the great narthex at the church doors, and they listened to the singing and reading of the church, but they did not enter the church itself; after that they were allowed to stand in the church itself behind the ambo at all church services, and only during the Divine Liturgy after the Gospel, when the deacon exclaimed: "Catechumens, depart," they went into the church narthex and remained there until the end of the Liturgy. Then they were vouchsafed to stand with the faithful, but they did not commune of the Holy Mysteries. Finally, having received permission from the epitimia, they were allowed again, as before the sin, to commune with faith and love of the Divine Mysteries. How did they behave during the penance? They always sighed from the depths of their hearts, wept and wept, shunned all evil, forced themselves to every good deed, to every diligent fulfillment of the Gospel commandments.

Anticipating such sincere repentance in Christians excommunicated for sins from communion, the Holy Spirit did not legitimize in His Church any other punishment and penance for sins.

It should be known that the Church has given the power to bishops, seeing the worthy fruits of the repentance of the penitents, to shorten the period of penance determined by the sacred canons. I also inform you that in all the sacred canons I diligently searched for whether there were any epitimias without excommunication from communion of the Holy Mysteries, and could not find them. But it is frightening to think how terrible and formidable is the rebuke imposed on those who dare to commune sinners without excommunication from the Holy Mysteries, and who commune without such an epitimia: the Church likens both of them to Judas the traitor.

Your further question is as follows: when at the proskomedia particles are taken out for the living and the dead, do they have the same power and benefit, both when a separate particle is taken out for each commemorated person, and when one common part is taken out for many? We ask you to bring us who are bad to reason with this.

I answer: the particles taken out at the proskomedia for the living and the departed, uniting with the most pure Mysteries of Christ, immediately partake of the holy things and the grace of the Holy Spirit, and give the same benefit and grace to those for whom they are offered, whether a separate particle is taken out for each, or one common particle is taken out for many. And this is clearly seen from the very rite of the proskomedia: for, having received the fourth prosphora, the priest takes out from it only one particle for the entire consecrated rite, for all living Orthodox Christians in the entire Church of Christ. Likewise, from the fifth prosphora for all the departed Orthodox Christians, he takes out one particle. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, believes and confesses that although one particle is offered for all living Orthodox Christians and for all the departed, one and the same benefit is brought to them by the grace and holiness of the Holy Spirit, as if a separate particle were offered for each Orthodox Christian: for the almighty grace of the Holy Spirit does not fail, being one and the same, bringing one and the same benefit in the bloodless sacrifice and one particle for each separately and one particle for many.

Further, you ask whether it is possible to ask the priest to commemorate the names and take out the parts for those saints who, out of love for them, out of love for them, especially for those whose names are not mentioned in the service book, is it possible to submit for them to the proskomedia out of zeal, so that these saints may be especially commemorated with the help of that they pray for us sinners?

From such innovations usually arise various heresies and schisms, from which may Christ preserve all those who believe in Him correctly. Those who have faith and love for the saints should be content with 9 particles and should not seek to have special particles taken out in honor of some saints. And let them invoke the prayers of those saints, so that through their prayers they may find mercy and forgiveness of their sins from God.

Further, you ask whether one priest can perform the sacrament of unction, or not, because you have such a custom that one priest with a deacon and a cleric perform this sacrament?

I answer: In the book of the Orthodox confession it is said that this sacrament must be performed by priests, and this is in full accord with the Holy Scriptures, which says: "If anyone is sick in you, let him call the presbyters of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord"; But it cannot be performed by a single priest, which is not in accordance with the Holy Scriptures and is contrary to Church Tradition. Saint Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, says in his book: "Is it possible for one priest to perform the anointing of the sick? It is not proper for one priest to perform this sacrament, for it is said: "Let the presbyters of the church be called," and not one presbyter, and this order must be preserved. Just as a bishop is not ordained by one bishop, so the anointing of the sick is not performed by one presbyter (chapter 283). Why are there seven presbyters in the anointing of the sick, and why are there very often three because of the lack of priests? The Brother of the Lord does not specify the number of presbyters, but the custom has established to call seven. I believe that the reason for this is the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit in Isaiah, or the seven Old Testament priests, who, by God's command, sounded the trumpet seven times around Jericho and thereby brought down its walls; that these also, i.e.

Such, it seems to me, is the meaning of the sevenfold number of priests. Some, where there is a lack of presbyters, call only three, and this should not be condemned, for this points first of all to the dogma of the Most Holy Trinity, and then to the testimony of the Prophet Elijah about the Trinity, when he resurrected the dead son of the widow of Zarephath, praying three times and prostrating himself over him three times. But one should not search much about the number, but it is necessary to adhere to the ancient tradition. Let not one presbyter perform anointing of the sick." From these words of St. Simeon it is evident that it is not proper for one priest to perform the sacrament of unction; but of necessity, at least three priests must perform it. In one Slavonic book I found that in case of necessity this sacrament can be performed by two priests, but in the Greek books I did not find this. Enough has been said.

To your last question, in which you ask me how it is possible for you, who live in peace with wives and children, to be saved, I answer: Who can embrace with a brief word everything pertaining to the work of salvation? I can only give you my advice, that you read with the greatest diligence the Divine Scriptures and the teachings of our Holy Fathers, to whom it is given to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, the true meaning of the Holy Scriptures; in their spiritually enlightened teaching there are perfectly found all the instructions necessary for spiritual salvation, which induce everyone who wishes to be saved to force himself to every good deed and to flee from every deed contrary to God. Diligent and diligent, with faith and love, with the fear of God and with all attention, reading their teachings, you will have constant admonition to every good deed necessary for salvation. I, with all my unworthiness, taking into account that you seek instruction from me, can answer you as follows: the most merciful God accomplishes the salvation of the souls of Orthodox Christians by the Orthodox faith, good works and His grace. The Orthodox faith is that which is contained in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, and without this faith it is impossible for anyone to be saved. Good works are the Gospel commandments, without which, as without the Orthodox faith, it is also impossible for anyone to be saved: the Orthodox faith without good works is dead, and good works without the Orthodox faith are dead. He who wants to be saved must unite both, and thus by the grace of Christ God, Who said: "Without Me you can do nothing," to attain salvation. It should be known that Christ the Savior equally legitimized good works for all Orthodox Christians, both monks and laymen, living in the midst of the world with their wives and children, and seeks and demands from all the most zealous fulfillment of His commandments, so that those who violate them and do not repent about it will have no excuse and will not be able to give an answer at His dreadful and second coming. And all Orthodox Christians, male and female, of all ages and ranks, healthy and lying on beds in various ailments, weak and aged, all can, with the help of the grace of God, fulfill Christ's commandments without any difficulty by their good will and spiritual humility alone, and thus be saved. The Gospel commandments, at least the most important of them and the most general, are so necessary for salvation that even if one of them were not fulfilled, there can be no salvation for the soul. Such are: love for God and neighbor, meekness and humility, peace with all and patience, forgiveness from the heart of one's sins to one's neighbor, non-condemnation, lack of hatred for one's neighbor, love for one's enemies, giving alms to one's neighbor, both spiritual and bodily, and other commandments of Christ indicated in the Holy Gospel. It is necessary to try to fulfill all of them with all diligence, and especially to love God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself; following the meekness of Christ, to resist the passion of anger to the point of blood, to have peace with all, so necessary that Christ Himself repeatedly said to His disciples: "Peace be unto you," "Peace I leave with you," "My peace I give unto you." Where the peace of Christ is, there Christ dwells; but in a soul that does not have the peace of Christ, Christ does not dwell. Patience is so necessary for salvation that Christ says: "In your patience gain your souls." The acquisition of souls is nothing else than the salvation of souls. And patience must be possessed not only for a certain time, but until death, for he who endures to the end will be saved. Whoever with all his heart forgives his neighbor his sins, who does not condemn his neighbor, he himself will not be condemned by God. But who can briefly enumerate all the commandments of the Gospel, which everyone who wishes to be saved must keep and observe as the apple of his eye? Humility, which is the foundation of all the commandments of the Gospel, is as necessary for salvation as breath is for human life. All the saints were saved in various ways, but without humility no one was saved and cannot be saved. Therefore, everyone who wants to be saved must wholeheartedly consider himself the last of all before God, and consider only himself guilty of any sin, and not anyone else. Thus fulfilling all the commandments of the Gospel with God's help and humbling himself before God, he is worthy of God's mercy, forgiveness of his sins and acceptance of God's grace. By the mercy of God he attains the salvation of his soul with all certainty. In addition, Orthodox Christians must carefully observe all the commandments of the Church. The sacrament of repentance consists in truly repenting before God, departing from one's sins, having a strong determination with God's help not to return to them again, then confessing all one's sins before one's confessor, as before God Himself, receiving from him the absolution of sins, and receiving from him the penance assigned by him for sins according to the order of the Church.

On how to build the life of your home and your wife and children, on all the duties of Christianity, you can find the most perfect instruction in the writings of St. John Chrysostom and other saints.