Old Believers

[[File:Мелетий (Картушин).jpg|thumb|Metropolitan Meletii of the Russian Old-Rite Church, 1929.]]

[[File:Мелетий (Картушин).jpg|thumb|Metropolitan Meletii of the Russian Old-Rite Church, 1929.]]

The priestly (''popovtsy'') were generally the more conservative and moderate Old Believers. While regarding Nikon's reforms as a grave heresy, they did not believe the official church lost all divine grace or that its sacraments were null and void. No bishops supported their cause – priestly lore, seeking legitimacy, claimed that their movement was originally founded by Bishop [[Paul of Kolomna]], an obscure figure who was supposedly executed by Nikon, and aggrandized in Old Believer hagiography. [[Apostolic succession|Lacking the means to ordain]] new priests, the ''popovtsy'' were content to accept unemployed or banished clerics from the official church, on condition that they abjure the reforms, undergo some form of "correction", mostly [[chrismation]], and adopt the old rite. The priestly were thus able to maintain the full liturgy and much of the structure of pre-Schism church life. They were careful in applying the Antichrist doctrine to the present, and were seen by the authorities as less threatening. Their communities were relatively hierarchic, though the laity was nonetheless assertive and involved, often treating the "runaway" priests as mere employees.

The priestly (''popovtsy'') were generally the more conservative and moderate Old Believers. While regarding Nikon's reforms as a grave heresy, they did not believe the official church lost all divine grace or that its sacraments were null and void. No bishops supported their cause –{{Sfn|Paert|2003|pp=32}} priestly lore, seeking legitimacy, claimed that their movement was originally founded by Bishop [[Paul of Kolomna]], an obscure figure who was supposedly executed by Nikon, and aggrandized in Old Believer hagiography.{{Sfn|Scheffel|1991|pp=47}} [[Apostolic succession|Lacking the means to ordain]] new priests, the ''popovtsy'' were content to accept unemployed or banished clerics from the official church, on condition that they abjure the reforms, undergo some form of "correction", mostly [[chrismation]], and adopt the old rite. The priestly were thus able to maintain the full liturgy and much of the structure of pre-Schism church life. They were careful in applying the Antichrist doctrine to the present, and were seen by the authorities as less threatening. Their communities were relatively hierarchic, though the laity was nonetheless assertive and involved, often treating the "runaway" priests as mere employees.{{Sfn|Paert|2003|pp=32}}

Historical priestly accords include the Onufrites, who accepted some controversial letters written by [[Avvakum]], containing unconventional theological statements, as legitimate; the Deaconites, who did not require their "runaway" priests to be chrismated (as preparing chrism without episcopal consecration is contrary to church canons), and accepted the four-pointed cross as legitimate, therefore swinging the [[thurible]] once horizontally and once vertically during services, and not twice horizontally as other sects; and the Sophontites, who chrismated priests, recognized only the eight-pointed cross, censing accordingly, and rejected Avvakum's controversial writings.

Historical priestly accords include the Onufrites, who accepted some controversial letters written by [[Avvakum]], containing unconventional theological statements, as legitimate; the Deaconites, who did not require their "runaway" priests to be chrismated (as preparing chrism without episcopal consecration is contrary to church canons), and accepted the four-pointed cross as legitimate, therefore swinging the [[thurible]] once horizontally and once vertically during services, and not twice horizontally as other sects; and the Sophontites, who chrismated priests, recognized only the eight-pointed cross, censing accordingly, and rejected Avvakum's controversial writings.<ref name="Priestly">Н. Н. Покровский, Е. А. Агеева, [https://www.pravenc.ru/text/print/77768.html БЕГЛОПОПОВЦЫ], [[Orthodox Encyclopedia]], 2009.</ref>

Since the mid-19th century, the priestly succeeded in recruiting bishops of their own, forming two separate Old Believer established hierarchies: the [[Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy]] in 1846, and the [[Russian Old-Orthodox Church|Novozybkov Hierarchy]] in 1923. Another settlement for some of the priestly was provided in the form of ''[[edinoverie]]'', "uniate faith": since 1800, the state church allowed Old Believer to rejoin it while keeping their rites, with various conditions. The ''edinoverie'', that served mainly as a tool of the state to control Old Believers, never consisted of more than a small minority of them.

Since the mid-19th century, the priestly succeeded in recruiting bishops of their own, forming two separate Old Believer established hierarchies: the [[Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy]] in 1846, and the [[Russian Old-Orthodox Church|Novozybkov Hierarchy]] in 1923.{{Sfn|De Simone|2018|pp=86-88}} Another settlement for some of the priestly was provided in the form of ''[[edinoverie]]'', "uniate faith": since 1800, the state church allowed Old Believer to rejoin it while keeping their rites, with various conditions. The ''edinoverie'', that served mainly as a tool of the state to control Old Believers, never consisted of more than a small minority of them.{{Sfn|White|2003|pp=13-14}}

===Priestless===

===Priestless===