Archbishop John (Shahovskoy): Characteristics of Evil Pastorship

 Some characteristics of evil pastorship.

I. Love of Money; practical materialism; offering prayers of sacraments on the payment of a fee - which is a sin and a perversion of God's Kingdom.¹
II. Pomp, show, theatricality... (the angel warned St. Hermas, wherever there is pomp, there is deceit, that is, falsity before God). The Orthodox rite is not pompous or theatrical; it is a reverent and prayerful reality, calling unto God with voice, color and movement - the surrender to God of all this world's flesh. Only through a heart aglow with love for God and man does Orthodox symbolism find its right to truth and become a heavenly reality.

III. Fawning on the rich and powerful. A contemptuous attitude to poor and humble people. "Respect of persons." Timidity and false gentleness in denouncing the sins of the mighty ones in this world. Rudeness and bad temper with subordinate and defenseless people.²

IV. Preaching in church earthly values and attainments; absorption in some side-issue or work to the detriment of the direct pastoral task of healing souls and bringing them to the One Shepherd. Lack of reverence in church.

V. Seeking honor and glory for oneself, vanity. Signs of atheism: "How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that comes from God only?" Indication of pastoral faith: "he that seeketh his glory that sent him" (John 5:44).

VI. Lack of care for the human soul... "He that is a hierling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees: and the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep" (John 10:12-13).

+Archbishop John (Shahovskoy), from The Orthodox Pastor, Outline of Pastoral Theology, Chapter 2, Evil Pastorship.

¹Even if the priest is not personally interested in acquiring material means through the Gifts of grace he must not allow this for his parishioners' sake, so as to instill in them a clear sense of God's mercy and of Divine gifts which cannot be bought or sold and are incommensurable with earthly values.

²It has a very painful effect on the laity when, because of some slight mistake, a higher cleric makes a rude reprimand to his subordinate during a church service. If a pastor does not spare the feelings of those at prayer, is he likely to care for their feelings outside the church?

³A certain layman came once to a refugee church at the very beginning of the Liturgy and saw through the open south door of the sanctuary that the priest while robing himself was comfortably talking to the reader on purely secular matters. The layman knew that the priest should put on his vestments prayerfully, and at once lost respect for this particular pastor not mindful of the holy things entrusted to him. If the priest during the service had preached an inspired sermon about the need for silence and reverence in church, could that layman have believed him? The Lord has said, however: "Whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works" (Matt 23:3).

Note: The use of italics and the numbered footnotes above are from the original. Some archaic spellings have been updated.