Many holy fathers of the Church wrote about smoking and, in particular, Nectarios of Aegina and Silouan of Athos. From them we learn that a person must conquer his passions. Love and desire for God are the most effective cure for bad and sinful habits.
Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain speaks about smoking in his works “Spiritual Exercises” and “Exhortatory Manual,” calling this habit “the incense of the devil.” In both of his works, Saint Nicodemus emphasizes how serious the topic of smoking is, which he considers responsible for causing a person's poor health both physically and spiritually. [1]
In addition, the author insists that all clergy without exception should not smoke, since the use of tobacco smoke is contrary to good morals - a great virtue - and also does not correspond to the greatness of the priestly office and is harmful to the health of the body. [2]
Saint Nektarios of Pentapolis calls smoking a form of bodily fornication.
Elder Sophrony Sakharov, in his work on Saint Silouan of Athos, mentions one incident, which we want to talk about here. In 1905, Father Silouan traveled around Russia, visiting various monasteries.
On one of these trips on a railway train, he took a seat opposite a merchant. The latter, with a friendly gesture, opened his silver cigarette case in front of him and offered him a cigarette. Father Silouan thanked him for the offer, refusing to take the cigarette. Then the merchant began to say: “Father, do you refuse because you consider smoking a sin? But smoking often helps in an active life, because it’s good to take a break from hard work and relax for a few minutes. It’s convenient to have a business or friendly conversation while smoking, and in general, in the course of life...”
And then, trying to convince Father Silouan to take a cigarette, he continued to speak in favor of smoking. Then, after all, Father Silouan decided to say: “Sir, before you light a cigarette, pray. Say one 'Our Father'.” To which the merchant replied: “It seems not very correct to pray before smoking.” Silouan remarked in response: “So, any matter for which it is not very correct to pray unashamedly, it is better not to do it.” [3]
A person's mind and heart should always be free for prayer. Any human action that cannot coexist with prayer should not be performed. We notice that Saint Silouan does not resort to harsh expressions and does not show disgust towards his smoking interlocutor. He also does not justify quitting smoking based on hygiene rules, which in those years did not contradict smoking. His position on this bad habit is deeply theological in nature. His point of view is based on practical and prayerful theology in the spirit of the Fathers of the Orthodox Church.
Anything that is incompatible with pure prayer should not be done at all. The craving for sinful pleasures is overcome not by prohibitions and harsh struggle, but by communication between God and man, expressed in prayer. The essence of the words of Saint Silouan is that the love and desire of the soul for God is the most effective cure for bad and sinful habits.
The Holy Scriptures do not directly speak about smoking, but indirectly, through some principles that we can apply to modern realities, we can say something about smoking. First Corinthians says: “Everything is lawful for me, but not everything is profitable; everything is permissible for me, but nothing should possess me.” [4]
Smoking is undoubtedly a serious addiction. The Apostle Paul continues: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God both in your body and in your soul, which belong to God" [5]. Of course, smoking is very harmful to health. It has been scientifically proven that it destroys the lungs, and sometimes the heart.
Notes:
[ 1 ] V. Solomos-Nikolaidis. Smoking and Orthodox education in childhood and adolescence. Thessaloniki, 2001. P. 288.
[ 2 ] Nicodemus the Holy Mountain. Exhorting Guidance. Athens, 2008. P. 87.
[ 3 ] Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov. Venerable Silouan of Athos. Patriarchal Stavropegial Monastery of St. John the Baptist. Essex, England, 1990. P. 223.
[ 4 ] 1 Cor. 6:12
[ 5 ] 1 Cor. 6:19-20