TREBY

TREBY. With the reduction of church support from the imperial government after the Spiritual Regulation (q.v.) of Tsar Peter, it was common for Russian clergy to live off donations paid for private services. These treby, or “needs,” originally connoted religious services for the needs of individuals, i.e., “personal” sacraments or special prayers (qq.v.). The term treby began to be identified with the needed living expenses of the clergy because of the terrible living conditions of the priests. The system is still widespread in the Russian Church today.