Having many examples of curses fulfilled, it is impossible to think that the power of parents over children is absolute, and it is even more inadmissible to attribute magical power to the words of a father or mother. Both an unreasonable blessing and a parental curse that contradicts Divine truth, the Lord does not fulfill. The Holy Scriptures say: "As a sparrow flutters, as a swallow flies away, so will the undeserved curse not come true" (Proverbs 26:2). The Psalmist also turns to the Lord: "They curse, but you bless" (Psalm 108:28). Parental unkind words are no exception to this truth.

Many parents, unfortunately, are in disbelief and blindness. Others, although they consider themselves believers, have damaged spirituality. It would be a great calamity for children if curses containing ill-will achieved their purpose. If children do not live in sin, if they fulfill the commandments, the most important of which is "honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long on earth" (Exodus 20:12), the merciful and all-good God will not only not fulfill the evil word of such parents, but will also protect the children.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has brought a blessing to this world. By His death on the Cross, He defeated the curse. "Therefore there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:1). Therefore, the New Testament Holy Scripture forbids cursing: "Bless your persecutors; bless, and do not curse" (Romans 12:14). The one who curses commits a grave sin. "Whoever blesses his enemy, blesses himself, and whoever curses him, curses himself, and whoever prays for the enemy, prays for himself, and not for him" (St. John Chrysostom).

If, nevertheless, a father or mother curses one of the children in malice, anger and blindness, then it is necessary, first of all, to pray fervently for peace as a great treasure and for parents to have a peaceful spirit. Prayer reconciles people. A person on whom a curse is pronounced must very carefully examine his spiritual and external life: whether there was a reason for such a temptation, which the person could not see due to insensitivity and inattention. "Beware, Christians, of insulting your parents, lest you experience the punishing hand of God. After God, we have no greater benefactors than our parents. It's scary to be ungrateful to them! Moreover, know this: as you will be to your parents, so will your children be to you, according to the word of Christ: "In what measure you measure, it will be measured to you!" (Matt. 7:2)" (St. Tikhon of Zadonsk). It often happens that a person considers himself right, but in a conversation with him you become convinced that in his behavior the rightness was external, formal. There was neither love nor truly Christian humility in the relationship. Without this, it is impossible to fulfill the commandment "honor your father and your mother." The Holy Scriptures do not say: "a good father" or "a good mother". The commandment does not imply obedience from children that contradicts their Christian conscience, but forbids malice, hostility and even simple indifference towards them. A person who has fallen under the parental curse must also, without delay, prepare and proceed to full confession. Having done all this (honoring one's parents, praying for them, regularly cleansing oneself of sins, living in the grace-filled experience of the Church), a person must be freed from all fear and calmly follow his path of salvation.

"Honor thy father and mother in deed and word, that a blessing may come upon thee from them: for the blessing of the father establishes the houses of the children" (Sir. 3:8-9).

I have heard the opinion that those who live in a "civil" marriage are fornicators. Is this true?

Priest Athanasius Gumerov, a monk of Sretensky Monastery, the Holy Scriptures allow carnal relations between a man and a woman only in legal marriage. Unlegalized relationships are fornication. St. The Apostle Paul writes: "But if they cannot abstain from it, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to be inflamed" (1 Corinthians 7:9). The Holy Church blesses married life in the sacrament of marriage. State marriage, although spiritually inferior, is legal. Such a marriage was recognized by the holy apostles in the Roman Empire. "Civil marriage" is not legalized by anyone.

Can only the priest who imposed it really remove the epithymia?

Priest Athanasius Gumerov, a monk of Sretensky Monastery  

There is no rule according to which only the priest who imposed it can allow from epitimia. There is only expedient pastoral practice. It was born in those distant times when the life of Christians took place in communities. The presbyter, as a spiritual teacher, not only gave a certain measure of punishment for a serious sin, but also monitored the correction of the sinner. Seeing the fruits of repentance in the believer, he could shorten the duration of the penance. Naturally, another presbyter who removed it would have acted contrary to pastoral ethics. Now many people confess in various parish churches and monasteries. The person receiving confession sees them once in a lifetime or extremely rarely. In such cases, the priest or hieromonk should not give them an epitimia, but offer them a spiritual plaster: read the penitential canon for a while, make prostrations, and abstain from Holy Communion for a certain time after repentance of mortal sin. A person is not bound by this, but receives the necessary recommendations for correction.

Isn't it a sin to be treated with Tibetan medicine?

Priest Athanasius Gumerov, a monk of Sretensky Monastery  

A person must make a choice depending on what he does not want to cripple: the soul or the body. European medicine, like all other fields of activity, was very differentiated. Most often, it treats not a person, but a sick organ. A strong therapeutic effect in the treatment of a disease can be negative for individual organs (for example, the liver) or the body as a whole (sharply weaken the immune system). This does not always happen. There are also considerable achievements. You need to have a sober and calm view of everything, free from extremes. If medical healing is successful, the Christian thanks God. If the illness continues, then the believing soul strengthens repentance and prayers. In any case, the soul is not only not damaged, but humbles itself and learns to turn more often to the all-powerful Heavenly Physician and follows the path of salvation. An Orthodox person should not turn to Tibetan medicine. It is closely connected with Eastern occultism. It is known from experience that any false spirituality leads to communication with demonic forces. Let's look at the basic text of Tibetan medicine "Zhud-shi" (four tantras). At the beginning of the 2nd chapter we read: "At this time, the victorious Teacher, the healer Bhaisajya-guru, the king of vaidurya effulgence, entered into samadhi, called the "King of healing, the Conqueror of 404 diseases." As soon as he entered samadhi, the light of hundreds and thousands of flowers burst out from his heart in ten directions, purifying the living entities in all ten directions from the defilement of the vices of the soul. Having pacified all the diseases of the "three poisons" that arose from ignorance, the light returned back to the heart. <… > At that time, a ray of hundreds and thousands of different colors burst out of the tongue of the Master Bhaisajya-guru, the king of vaidurya effulgence, spread to the ten cardinal directions, and purified the living entities within the ten realms from the contamination of sins committed by the word. Having pacified the diseases and demons of the gdon, the light returned to the tongue. The embodiment of words (Bhaisajya-guru) appeared - a rishi named Manosiji. He bowed down to the Master, made a circle of honour around him, and, standing before the Master in the lion posture, uttered the following request on behalf of the circle of rishis: "O Master, Rishi Vidyajnana, may there be goodness! One does not need to be a theologian to see behind the sugary and flowery words a dangerous false spirituality, resorting to which a person enters into communion with dark spirits, even if he does not realize it. In this case, the soul is damaged.

Why could the Ninevites "not distinguish the right hand from the left"?