Russian translation will not make divine services more understandable – Rossiyskaya Gazeta
The translation of the service from Church Slavonic into Russian will make the services more understandable, says the head of the DECR of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. If the parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church do not know the Holy Scriptures, the Russian language will not help them.
– The problem here is complex, and it must be solved comprehensively, – said Metropolitan Hilarion in the “Church and Peace” program on the TV channel.Russia“- Just to translate the Byzantine liturgical texts of the eighth century into Russian does not mean to make the service understandable.
Metropolitan Hilarion, having approved by ear a complex theological text, even translated from the Church Slavonic language, is practically impossible, especially if people do not know the Holy Scriptures in their own way. According to the metropolitan, “even Orthodox believers” often do not know him.
In his opinion, in order to make divine services more understandable and accessible, in some cases the Russian language can be used.
– But the issue of understanding worship can be fully resolved only due to the fact that people are constantly explained the meaning of worship, he permits.
Taking the reading of Scripture seriously can also remedy the understanding situation.
– Because, not knowing the Holy Scriptures, not knowing the Bible, not knowing not only the Gospel, but also the Old Testament, to understand divine services, – summed up Metropolitan Hilarion.