Hieromartyr Pavel, Bishop of Kolomna

April 3/16

In the middle of the 17th century, Russia and the Russian Church found themselves at a historical crossroads. They faced a difficult choice: to preserve themselves as the Third Rome, the last bastion of Christianity, by isolating from other nations, or to move forward with the rest, exchanging spiritual primacy for the "lentil stew" of worldly pleasures; what should be the priority—spirit or flesh?

Descending is much easier than ascending; it is simpler to go with the flow than to row against it. The Russian nobility, having observed the lifestyle of the Poles during the Time of Troubles, began to consider their own country a "backward" state, a "land of the ignorant" with its long church services and earthly bows. They yearned for theater, dance, and all the carnal amusements, which were disapproved of by ancient Russian Orthodoxy. And Orthodoxy itself began to seem "backward" and "ignorant." They wanted to "groom" it, "correct" it, so that everything would be "like among people," as abroad, so that faith "would not interfere with living"...

However, there were spiritually strong people in Russia, zealots of piety. They grieved over the loss of souls and the corruption of morals. Aflame with faith in God, they endeavored to kindle the same in others by their example and teachings. They lived by prayer—and sought to attract everyone around them to a similar life.

As different as fire from ice, as heaven is from earth—so divergent were the paths of these two parts of the Russian world. For a time, they coexisted, each trying to attract the other to their path—but the complete incompatibility of their aspirations could only lead to an open conflict, sooner or later. And so it happened in the middle of the "rebellious century," the seventeenth after the Birth of Christ.

The first "party" included the majority of the Moscow nobility, led by Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich. Many of the church "hierarchs" joined it, including Patriarch Nikon himself.

The second group was smaller in number but more active in preaching. It was a circle of "God-lovers"—the elite of the "white" clergy: priests, deacons. There were also some monks among them. Initially, this group included Nikon, the Metropolitan of Veliky Novgorod, the future patriarch, and Pavel, Bishop of Kolomna and Kashira, about whom we will continue our narrative.

Pavel was the son of a rural priest, Ioann, from the village of Kolychevo in Nizhny Novgorod Province, born apparently at the turn of the century, before the great Time of Troubles. From childhood, the future martyr witnessed great national calamities and suffering. A firm faith in God, instilled in him from infancy, and a habit of enduring hardships tempered his character.

The priest-father moved with his family to serve in the village of Kirikovo, not far from Lyskovo (which is now part of the expanded city). Around 1632, another priest, Anania, who had previously ministered to the women's Conception Monastery in Nizhny Novgorod, also moved there. The families of both priests were close and even intermarried: in 1648, Anania’s son Ioann (the future Metropolitan Hilarion of Suzdal) married Ksenia, the daughter of Father Ioann and the younger sister of the future Bishop Pavel.

Father Anania was so renowned for his learning and piety that other priests came to him for education. In 1632, Priest Ioann Neronov arrived here—later one of the participants in the circle of zealots for piety. Here he befriended the future confessor-bishop.

The spiritual instructions of his own father and interactions with the outstanding priests of the time left an indelible mark on the young man's soul, and the future bishop decided to leave the worldly life and take the monastic path. He went across the Volga to the Makaryev Zheltovodsky Monastery, where after the required period of "testing," he became one of the monks, receiving the name Pavel upon taking his vows. Around 1635, he already served as the treasurer of the monastery, and by 1640, he is mentioned in one of the donation records (on a book) already as the abbot of the monastery. It appears that by this time, he had already received the ordination as a priest.

Through Archpriest Ioann Neronov, Father Pavel became close to the circle of God-lovers. The court circles, eager for Church reform, hoped to use their energy for opposite purposes: not to strengthen the Christian spirit in Russia, but to destabilize the established order. They sought leaders for the impending reform, such as the Novgorod Metropolitan Nikon, who would later become the reformist patriarch. But that would come later; for now, while the God-lovers were still united, they actively tried to correct ecclesiastical disorders and public morals, earning the hatred of some church representatives as well as the licentious nobility...

In July 1651, through the efforts of the God-lovers and the Tsar’s confessor, Stephan Vonifatiev, Father Pavel was summoned "to Moscow," and Patriarch Joseph elevated him to the abbot of the Pafnutyev Borovsk Monastery, replacing his old acquaintance from the Makaryev Monastery, Simeon, who had become the Archbishop of Tobolsk (later, he would assist the disgraced Archpriest Avvakum, when the latter was in Siberian exile).

On April 15, 1652, the last "Old Believer" Russian Patriarch Joseph either died of illness or poisoning (as he himself had predicted). Tsar Alexey, it seems, had already agreed with Metropolitan Nikon about the future reform of the Church and was trying to advance him to the vacant patriarchal position. The God-lovers, unaware of this, also submitted a petition for the election of their comrade as patriarch.

The Church council elected twelve "spiritual men," worthy to occupy the place of the deceased primate. One of them, the Venerable Job of Lgov, immediately withdrew "from human glory," not wishing to become patriarch. Among the others were Metropolitan Nikon and the Borovsky Abbot Pavel. But Pavel, like the other God-lovers, hoped for Nikon's righteousness and advocated for his elevation to the throne of Moscow and all Rus'. The Tsar, playing along with the zealots of piety, agreed on the candidacy of the Novgorod prelate, who was elected (chosen) on July 23, 1652, and two days later was ordained as patriarch. Before this, the Tsar and Nikon staged an entire spectacle: Nikon publicly, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, refused the patriarchate three times, and the Tsar with the synclit of boyars persuaded him. Finally, the Tsar and all present prostrated themselves and tearfully begged Nikon to agree. He dramatically, "reluctantly" agreed, but set a strict condition: the Tsar, clergy, and all people must honor him as the supreme father and shepherd and unconditionally obey everything he would do and demand in the Church. The sovereign and all present gave such a promise. Thus the path was paved for the Nikon-Alexey church reform, in which secular ruling circles, through the childless Nikon, imposed various innovations on the Russian Church, so that it would eventually weaken, transform, and cease to "interfere with their lives"…

Initially, everything in the country and Church seemed to go as usual. Nikon was kind to his former friends, the God-lovers, hoping to attract them to the path of reform. They, considering him their comrade, could not then guess that Nikon had already "dipped his hand in the brine." On October 17, 1652, he ordained Abbot Pavel as bishop of the Kolomna-Kashira diocese (the previous bishop, the elderly Raphael, who had governed it since 1618, had taken the great schema and left the service). This diocese included the cities of Kolomna, Kashira, Serpukhov, and Tula. It was a very important diocese, due to its proximity to the capital.

Arriving in Kolomna, the new bishop began his work. He tried to reform the morals of the priests and the local voivode, whom he even excommunicated for an offense committed against the clergy. He started the construction of a church and auxiliary buildings. He prayed fervently in his cell and conducted archiepiscopal services in the churches... It seemed as though this would continue forever.

But suddenly the devil struck the Russian Church—God allowed this due to the sins of the people. The instrument was prepared, and the plan was made: reform! During Maslenitsa week of 1653, Nikon began the work for which he had attained the highest rank. The "test stone" he threw into the Church and the circle of God-lovers was a document titled "Pamyat" (which in our time would be called an instruction). This circular forbade making the sign of the cross in the old way, with two fingers, as Russian Christians had guarded themselves since the Baptism of Rus, as ordained by the holy apostles who had received this from Christ Himself! From now on, it was commanded to cross oneself "with three fingers," as previously introduced by the Pope of Rome and as the lukewarm Greeks had grown accustomed to crossing themselves. Also, the majority of earth bows, previously numerous during Great Lent prayers, were declared a violation of the rule and strictly forbidden...

This "Pamyat" was, for Nikon's former friends, a bolt from the blue. They could not understand what was happening, why Nikon, who had spoken before his patriarchate about how the Russian Church had surpassed all in piety and the Greeks had become corrupt, suddenly began to destroy that very piety. Was this a demonic delusion? Was it just a mistake? After all, the Seventh Ecumenical Council and other Church Councils forbade the abolition or denunciation of the smallest church traditions and their replacement with new ones, and those guilty of such impiety were anathematized! Neither a patriarch nor even an angel from heaven, according to Apostle Paul, is allowed such autonomy! And the Stoglav Council of the Russian Church, a hundred years before Nikon, strictly forbade any other formation of fingers during baptism except the two-finger sign! And cursed those who did not cross themselves thus!

No, this was not a coincidence or a mistake, but the beginning of a terrible time—a new Russian turmoil, later called the Great Schism.

Disturbed, the God-lovers gathered in Moscow for an urgent meeting: what is happening? what to do? "We thought deeply, having come together," wrote Archpriest Avvakum. "We see that winter wants to come: the heart has grown cold, and the legs tremble." They agreed to strictly keep the fast and pray to the Lord for enlightenment.

Archpriest of the Kazan Cathedral on the Pozhare (Red Square), Ioann Neronov, fasted strictly for a week, secluded in the cell of the Chudov Monastery, and prayed tearfully. From the icon of the Savior, he heard a voice: "The time of suffering has come, it is fitting for you to suffer unwaveringly!" He also heard, "Ioann, be bold and fear not death: it is fitting for you to strengthen the tsar in My Name, lest today Russia suffers as did the Uniates" [i.e., former Orthodox who united with the Pope of Rome through the Union].

Archpriest Avvakum and other zealous brethren were informed about this by Protoiereus. Avvakum and Daniel, future martyrs, seeing that the patriarch was spiritually ill and knowing his unyielding and formidable character, decided to act as Orthodox had done in the past when patriarchs fell into heresy: they turned to the pious tsar to enlighten the misguided archpastor—just as the holy fathers did during the heresy of Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, when the emperor convened the Third Ecumenical Council, which deposed the heretic and restored Orthodoxy in Constantinople. Similarly, these priests, after several days and nights of effort, composed a petition to the tsar, "writing excerpts from the books about the formation of fingers and bows" (since the patriarch in his instruction did not refer to books, but simply by his authority commanded to introduce innovations in the Church). Historians believe that Bishop Pavel of Kolomna and other God-lovers wrote similar documents themselves... They did not receive a response from the sovereign. It came, but not from the tsar, but from Nikon: not a charter, but patriarchal condemnation. Under various pretexts, Nikon began to persecute the God-lovers, and by the end of that same year, he had almost all of them stripped of their priestly positions and exiled to distant "land assignments," that is, exiles.

Venerable Arseny of the Urals writes: "In July of that same year, Nikon convened his Cross Council, during which, among other things, a report was presented against the Murom Archpriest Loggin. Although the accusation was completely unfounded and Loggin presented his defense against the charges, Nikon, without any consideration of the case, 'sentenced [Archpriest] Loggin to suffer at the hands of a cruel bailiff'... Disturbed by this, Archpriest Ioann Neronov, who was present at the Council, said to Nikon, 'Why deliver Loggin to a cruel bailiff? An investigation should be conducted first... This is a great, divine, and royal matter, and the tsar himself truly should be present at this Council.' Nikon, in the presence of the entire Council, said, 'I neither need nor want the tsar's help, and so I spit and snort on it'... Neronov and another archpriest, Ermilov of Yaroslavl, informed the sovereign of this. But, 'of course, no one present at the Council dared to confirm this, fearing Nikon, and Nikon tried to convince the sovereign that it was Neronov's slander'... And for this alleged slander, Nikon had him sent to a monastery for humiliation, that is, for suffering. There he sat for some time in prison, and later at the Tsarev-Borisov court he was mercilessly beaten. Then Nikon removed his skufia and chained him in Simonov Monastery...

Moved by Christian love and compassion, Archpriests Avvakum and Daniel submitted a petition, or plea, to the sovereign for Neronov. But Nikon, having learned of this, forbade Archpriest Avvakum not only to perform sacraments but even simply to read the teaching Gospel in the Assumption Cathedral, where he had officiated in place of Neronov. After this, Avvakum began to pray in the drying room on Neronov’s estate, where he was staying. Learning of this, Nikon chained him and sent him to Androniev Monastery. He then publicly expelled his other opponents, Archpriests Daniel and Loggin, from the priesthood, exiling the first to Astrakhan and, after keeping the latter in chains for some time, sent him under supervision to Murom. As for Archpriest Avvakum, at the tsar's request, Nikon did not deprive him of his priesthood but merely exiled him to the city of Tobolsk in Siberia, where the local archbishop gave him a priestly position...

Archpriest Ioann Neronov sent two petitions to the tsar from his imprisonment, in one advocating for the innocently exiled archpriests, and in the other, among other things, he pointed out the illegal innovations of Nikon, expressed in his notorious "Pamyat," and defended the ancient traditions of the Church. The tsar left the petitions without consequence.

Thus, the core group of the God-lovers was shattered. Only the Tsar's spiritual advisor, Archpriest Stefan Vonifatiev, and Bishop Pavel remained free; for a time, his episcopal rank protected him from reprisal.

Confusion began in the Church. Priests and laypeople were puzzled: had they been crossing themselves and praying incorrectly all along? Then all the Russian saints had been wrong too! Why was the patriarch making such decisions unilaterally, without a council's consideration?

Nikon needed the support of a church council. But not one that would examine the matter on its merits, but rather a "handpicked" one, obedient to the will of the patriarch, the "great lord." The candidates for the council were strictly selected. Those dissatisfied with the reform were not to penetrate its sessions. Nikon wanted at the council only those participants "from whom he expected no contradiction, who trembled before the all-powerful patriarch and dared not voice their own, displeasing to him, opinions," as historian Professor N.F. Kapterev wrote. But he could not prevent Bishop Pavel, as a suburban bishop, from speaking at the council. In addition to him, five metropolitans, four archbishops, eleven archimandrites and abbots, thirteen archpriests, and several royal dignitaries arrived from various parts of vast Russia, as did Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich himself. The council did not take place in a church but in a hall where the boyar duma usually met, in the royal palace.

The Tsar and the patriarch spoke, while others remained silent, fearing to contradict them. Only Bishop Pavel spoke out fervently against Nikon's innovations. He even brought with him two ancient manuscript books, one paper and one parchment, from which he read the statute on earthly bows, which Nikon had dared to abolish as a so-called "innovation." The recounting of this speech was later recorded by the famous traveler Pavel Aleppsky (Paul of Aleppo). He reports that although all bishops internally disagreed with Nikon, they, under threat of reprisal, signed the council's collective decision, only "the one from Kolomna was stubborn and refused to sign the act of council (on the correction of faith)."

At the council, Nikon tried to deceive Bishop Pavel's vigilance so that he would not obstruct the approval of the reform. The council's decision was worded in such a way that he would not oppose putting his signature on it. It was written: "It is worthy and just to correct [printed church books] according to the old parchment and Greek books"—that is, according to ancient templates, not the new Greek ones printed in Roman Catholic presses in Venice and other Western European cities (which, in fact, by Nikon's blessing, were used by the newly appointed officials of the Moscow Printing Yard under the direction of church adventurer Arseny the Greek, who had previously been in the Solovetsky Monastery's prison for apostasy).

Bishop Pavel signed under such wording, but added his own particular opinion: "And what I spoke at the Holy Council about bows, and the charter made of parchment I laid here in defense, and another written one."

(Signed 1656, A.) Signature of Bishop Pavel under the synodal acts of 1654.

Nikon was not satisfied with such a signature from Bishop Pavel, and the dispute intensified. It is reported that Pavel even declared that he was retracting his signature from the synodal acts. Here is what the bishop said (in the retelling of Pavel of Aleppo): "Since the time we became Christians, having inherited the faith from our fathers and grandfathers, who were strictly devoted to their rites and steadfast in their faith, we too have stood by our faith and will not accept a new one." Upon hearing this, the tsar and patriarch exiled the bishop to the depths of Siberia, to the shore of the sea called the ocean, which washes the globe... There, from ancient times, monasteries have been constructed for exiles. The bishop was brought to one of these monasteries to drag out a life worse than death: so grim was the monastery's situation and unbearable the life amid darkness and hunger.

Other words of Bishop Pavel at the Council are cited by Old Believer historians: "If anyone takes away from the customary traditions of the Holy Catholic Church, or adds to them, or corrupts them in any other way, let him be anathema." This phrase is almost verbatim from the Acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council. But for this, Bishop Pavel paid a very harsh price: Nikon, unaccustomed to considering the opinions of subordinates, flew into a rage. He declared that he was stripping Bishop Pavel of his episcopal rank, began to beat him, personally tore off his mantle, and ordered him to be thrown into prison immediately.

To retroactively justify his crackdown on Bishop Pavel and other God-lovers, the patriarch did not shy away from slandering them: "Boiling with hatred and vengeance towards the opponents of his innovations, Nikon wrote to the Patriarch of Constantinople, Paisius, that same year, among other things, falsely accusing them of having their own special books, their own way of making the sign of the cross, and their own liturgy, alleging that they were trying to 'introduce their own innovations into the Church, as though they were corrections'... Of course, this was the basest and most outrageous slander," writes Venerable Arseny of the Urals, "as the aforementioned individuals possessed and used the same books, liturgy, and sign of the cross that the entire Russian Orthodox Church was using at that time, and not only did they not try to introduce any innovations into the Church, but they also warned Nikon, who was indeed attempting to 'introduce his own innovations into the Church, as though they were corrections'. However, the Patriarch of Constantinople had no means to verify Nikon's accusations and decided that 'these are the signs of heresy and discord, and whoever speaks and believes thus is alien to our Orthodox faith... Let them be cast out and separated by excommunication from the sheep of Christ, lest they feed upon mortal pasture'." Nikon ordered this patriarchal response to be printed in the book "The Tablet" to justify his repressions against the Old Believers, and he exiled Bishop Pavel to the North, to the Palaostrovsky Monastery.

One of the persecuted "God-lovers," Archpriest Ivan Neronov, in a letter to the Tsar's spiritual advisor, Archpriest Stefan, dated July 13 of the same year, describes miraculous signs that occurred during Nikon's condemnation of Bishop Pavel: "Bishop Pavel... even the soulless creature saw suffering for the truth, split apart, showing thereby the church's beauty torn asunder: for at Christ’s crucifixion, the temple veil was torn from top to bottom, yet wicked human hearts were not softened! Oh, how long shall malice prevail! They crucified the Lord and Master Himself, thus pleasing to Him, generous and Lover of Mankind, for He suffered, leaving us an example. In the year 1654, a revelation was made to Anofrius the Hermit: God showed him the good struggle of the suffering Bishop Pavel—your patriarch Nikon, however, was all darkened [blackened], along with all who obey him. And there were many other signs from God, all of which were scorned"...

Having eliminated the opponents of the reform, the patriarch began to force its implementation. He appointed the Greek hieromonk Arseny, who had previously changed faiths several times: he was baptized into Orthodoxy, then joined the Roman union, and was even circumcised into Islam, to manage the Moscow Printing Yard. The new team of "correctors" was tasked with retranslating the service books (from new Venetian and other Western editions) into Russian and reprinting all church books in a new edition, making as many changes as possible. The old books were declared "corrupted by heresy" and were to be removed from circulation. The patriarchate profited greatly from this nationwide replacement of books: under the threat of severe penalties, it was commanded that all churches replace all old books with new ones, purchasing them from the patriarchate. Many parishes were very poor and could not afford such replacements. They found their way out of this difficult situation as best they could: some simply continued to serve using the old books until the authorities discovered their disobedience, while others sold ancient editions and manuscripts to the Old Believers, using the proceeds to buy newly corrected books. The books were corrected in a strange way. Six editions of the Service Book were released in succession, each differing noticeably from the others, and each declared that only that particular edition was completely perfect and correct, while all others were not to be used. From the highest church pulpits, anathemas and curses thundered against everyone who made the sign of the cross with two fingers and adhered to other "old rites"...

The disgraced God-lovers, both in prison and in exile, continued to adhere to the old Orthodox faith and called on other Christians to do the same. The venerable martyr Pavel remained steadfast in the confession of the ancient Orthodox pious tradition of the Church until his death. He did not recognize the illegitimate deprivation of his rank, declared by the furious Nikon, and he himself responded to the heretical patriarch, saying: "A curse, if not according to sacred rules, is ineffective and turns upon the head of the one who utters it; for our teacher Christ truly said: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Soon you will have to follow me; and by the judgment with which you judge me, you will be judged, and your illness will turn upon your own head."

Canonical rules of the Holy Church allow an Orthodox bishop to not recognize the authority of a patriarch who has fallen into heresy (31st rule of the Holy Apostles, 15th rule of the Holy First-Second Council) and even state: "We command that the clerical members who agree with the Orthodox and ecumenical council, in no way whatsoever, be subject to bishops who have departed or are departing from Orthodoxy" (Third Ecumenical Council, 3rd rule). Based on these rules, the disgraced and shackled Bishop Pavel decided to continue his priestly duties as much as possible while in exile. When he was being transported from Moscow to the North, the bishop asked the guards to allow him to say goodbye to an old acquaintance and fellow villager, the son-in-law of Priest Anania, monk-deacon Hilarion (the future Metropolitan of Suzdal). Here is how this Old Believer tradition, recorded in the eighteenth century, tells it: "When he was granted his request and saw Hilarion, he immediately began to tell him with tears how he had been tortured at the council and how he had been insulted with annoyances and verbal abuses. Hilarion, hearing this with pity, was immediately moved to tears and began to plead with him, saying, 'Holy master! Take me with you into exile, that I too may share in your confession!' He agreed to his request but first ordered him to acquire some spiritual items and come to him with them, while he himself went into exile. Later, Hilarion began to be overwhelmed by spiritual weakness, to be disturbed and fearful, as one who was about to face such grievous trials: though his spirit was vigilant, his body was failing. Later, Hilarion sent these items to him with some people, but he himself withdrew to another place. Bishop Pavel received these items, which are necessary for the Christian kind both for spiritual and physical enlightenment and for the remission of sins: things appropriate for holy baptism: chrism and other sacred items, — and rejoicing in this, he thanked God, and also praised his Creator that he was deemed worthy to remain in prison exile for ancient piety."

There is also a tradition that while in Moscow imprisonment, Bishop Pavel was visited by Priest Stefan, his former diocesan priest from the city of Belev. He asked the bishop about the confusion brought by Nikon's innovations. The bishop instructed Father Stefan not to accept Nikon's novelties and to firmly stand for the true faith, but discreetly, to avoid arrest; he himself expressed a desire to suffer "for my sheep and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." The priest then asked about how to receive those coming from heresies back to ancient Orthodoxy, to which the saint instructed that such cases should be handled according to the church rules set out in the "Nomocanon" and the Synodal Expositions of Patriarch Philaret. Referring to the Holy Scriptures, as well as "Cyril's Book" and "The Book of Faith," he predicted that the ancient Orthodox priesthood would not be eradicated: even if the episcopal order were to be exhausted, those coming from the "new faith" (if they are properly baptized) should be received "by the second rank," under chrismation, keeping them in the rank they held in the new rite—laypeople as laypeople, priests and deacons (and thus bishops) in their orders. After this conversation, Bishop Pavel and Priest Stefan parted ways. Stefan later went to the Russo-Polish border, where he joined the Old Believer Priest Kosma, and from there moved to Vetka in the Polish state, where both officiated until their deaths.

There is also news that the famous hieromonk Theodosius, having visited Bishop Pavel in prison, received the same blessing as Stefan. During this, the bishop called God's blessing on all Old Believers, clergy and laypeople, including future generations. Later, Father Theodosius served in Kerzhents, where at a Council he introduced the reception of Nikonians "by the second rank," preserving their ranks, and then moved to Vetka, where he consecrated the Protection Church and passed away to God, and his body was found incorrupt…

In the 18th century, the Old Believer Venerable Jonah of Kerzhents copied from an ancient manuscript the history of ancient Orthodox priesthood. It recounts that while Bishop Pavel was in exile, "those zealous for ancient piety began to come to him. He, instructing many, taught and prayed that they remain steadfast in piety and not accept the new dogmas introduced into the church by Nikon, and always told those who came: honor the priest, do not exist without one, come to repentance, keep the fasts, shun drunkenness, do not deprive yourselves of the Body of Christ. For the Lord Himself said: whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him, and I will raise him up on the last day. Whoever does not eat My body and drink My blood does not enter the Kingdom of Heaven and will not be raised on the last day. The Lord also said to His disciples at the Last Supper: take, eat and drink, this is My body and My blood; do this in remembrance of Me until I come. For this reason I told you: do not deprive yourselves of the Body and Blood of Christ and of any sanctity. Stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by our letter. And do not adhere to strange and various teachings.

When Patriarch Nikon learned that many were being guided by Bishop Pavel, he banned them and began to make them abstain from communion out of fear and persecution, fearing Nikon's prohibition. What then does Nikon plan? By the cunning of the evil serpent, to do some evil to the true sufferer and warrior for Christ, the Most High King. Alas for the inhumanity and deceit of the evil serpent! He soon sends other messengers, that they should not allow anyone to come to him, neither a priest nor a common man. Then without mercy, they began to not only harm him but also those who came to him; and then not only the clergy, but also the laymen dared not openly come.

Seeing himself thus maligned, he began to speak to those who came to him thus: my beloved children! The time is coming when I can no longer be seen with you, and you do not grieve about my separation from you, and do not throw yourselves into temptation; and if they persecute, you flee and give place to wrath. For our very Truth, Christ Himself said: if they persecute you in one town, flee to another: for you will not finish going through the towns of Israel. — Hearing this, they were filled with tears and all as with one mouth cried out, saying: bless us, holy master, with your final blessing. — He, turning to them, said: may the Lord's blessing be not only on you and your children but also on the whole Church; wherever God deems it fit to be, may the Holy Spirit rest upon it.

They then asked him, "Holy master! If after you are taken from us, these priests or bishops remain with us by your blessing, and we follow them and are to receive every sanctity: baptism, marriages, repentance, the body and blood of Christ, and other church rites—if there is a shortage of those blessed by you, and other priests who were ordained long ago, what then are we to do in those times?" He answered all those present, both clergy and laity: "My children! If the time comes when there is a shortage of anciently ordained priesthood, look to the Scripture: according to the word of the Lord, the cities of Israel shall not be finished. So it is written, the Lord does not die; so His priesthood continues, so the body and blood of Christ will remain until the end of the age. If the anciently ordained priesthood should be interrupted, look to the divine Scripture, how the holy apostles and holy fathers laid down rules at the seven Ecumenical Councils and the nine local councils—how to receive those from heresies, they established three ranks. The first rank—fully baptize with three immersions; the second rank—only renounce all heresy in writing and then be anointed with chrism; the third rank—neither baptized nor anointed with chrism, only renounce their heresy and others. Thus should be discerned in the new Great Russian teachers: if they abandon the three immersions in baptism—in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit—and baptize with one immersion, or pour, or sprinkle, or some other strange way—then you should receive them by the first rank, fully baptize them, as if they were Greeks. If they do not abandon the three immersions—in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit—then for these two reasons you should receive them by the middle rank—renouncing newly introduced dogmas in writing and cursing other heresies, and also observing the rank. If anyone among you, a faithful Christian, departs from the Christian faith, leaves it, and comes into a certain heresy, and stays in that heresy for some time, and then recognizes their error, and comes to repentance and begins to pray with tears, like the publican—such should be received by the third rank because they are under the church rank, who in their baptism are wise, and their church ranks are unharmed and consistent with the Orthodox faith, only in some stubbornness they remain, or do not obey their teachers, and for that the Council cursed them and named their heresy. And for this, it behooves them to curse the self-deceived or contentious heresy in writing and other heresies as well, but do not anoint them with chrism... And for this reason I alleviate your opinion and sorrow, how to remain according to us and not be deprived of the sacred order of the priesthood; and above this, I have declared to you that “new” teachers are to be received by the second rank, under chrismation. And Saint Gregory allows for this to take place not in the presence of a bishop - for priests to anoint priests with chrism. Now I have resolved your doubt, fulfilling your desire for the path of salvation, amen." They, weeping much and having given a kiss to Christ, departed.

While in monastic confinement, Bishop Pavel preached the truth of the ancient church Tradition, for which he was subjected to humiliations and punishments by those fond of innovations. In 1656, the confessor bishop was transferred to the Novgorod Khutyn Monastery. Constant surveillance was set up, and any visits by outsiders were strictly forbidden. The bishop then took on the feat of feigning madness for the sake of Christ. Believing in the prisoner's insanity, the monastery's administration relaxed their control over him and even allowed him to walk to nearby villages to beg for alms. The bishop used this opportunity to preach the old Orthodox faith among the peasant folk.

However, even here there were detractors who reported the deposed bishop's preaching back to the capital. Nikon realized that he could not break the confessor. He then resorted to a proven method. Just as Saint Philip had once been secretly killed, whose relics Nikon had brought from Solovki to Moscow in 1652, so too was another "rebel"—the unyielding Bishop Pavel—destroyed.

From Moscow, executors of the godless plan were dispatched. They ambushed Bishop Pavel on a deserted road and killed him—on Holy Thursday, April 3, 1656. Old Believer manuscripts contain information that to hide the traces of this heinous crime, the assassins dismembered the martyr’s body into four parts and secretly burned it. Another account suggests that the sufferer was burned alive.

Thus, on the day of the Last Supper, the bishop was baked, like sweet bread for the Holy Trinity, and ascended by fire, as if by Elijah's chariot, to the Heavenly Bread, Christ. The relics of the hieromartyr Pavel were burned, ashes returned to ashes, and his soul—to God who gave it, where it abides in the Heavenly Church, among the assembly of bishops and martyr-saints.

Old Believers venerate his memory devoutly. Two church services (canons) have been written for Saint Pavel: by the Pomortsy in the 18th century and by Bishop Innocent of Nizhny Novgorod in the first quarter of the 20th century.

The memory of this great Russian saint is honored on April 3rd according to the church calendar (April 16th by the civil calendar).

source