WHAT IS A KATECHON?
The Russian language Katehon website features three subject headings that do not appear on the English version - 'Empire', 'Katechon theory' and 'Zemsky Sobor.'
'Katechon theory' is mainly concerned with discussing the meaning of the term 'Katechon'. It is a Greek word meaning 'the one who restrains' and it is found in the second epistle of St Paul to the Thessalonians (Ch.2, vv 1-12):
'Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you this? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming. The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.'
The website provides a little anthology of interpretations of this passage from various church fathers - Tertullian, Jerome, Hippolyte of Rome, Theodoret of Cyr, Augustine of Hippo, Irenaeus of Lyon, and John Chrysostom. These, incidentally, are all, with the exception of Irenaeus (born perhaps in Smyrna and writing in Greek), Theodoret and John, Western - Latin - writers, albeit from the period before the Great Schism, and none of them, with the exception of Irenaeus and John, are recognised as Saints by the Orthodox Church.
Tertullian, Jerome, and John interpret the katehon as the Roman Empire, despite the fact that the Emperor at the time of St Paul was Nero. Hyppolyte gives it as the 'fourth beast' in the Book of Daniel (Dan 7: 7-8), also widely regarded as symbolic of the Roman Empire. Theodoret interprets it as the grace of God. Augustine is non-committal but gives the Roman power as a probable interpretation. Irenaeus so far as I can see doesn't address the question. John interprets it as the Roman Empire:
'Some say that this is the grace of the Holy Spirit, while others say that it is the Roman state; I agree more with these latter. Why? Because if (the apostle) wanted to speak about the Spirit, he would not express himself vaguely about it, but (would say) definitely that now the grace of the Holy Spirit, i.e. (extraordinary) gifts, prevents him from appearing … But since (the apostle) says this about the Roman state, it is understandable why he only hints at this and speaks covertly for the time being. He did not want to incur excessive hostility and useless danger. Indeed, if he had said that the Roman state would collapse in a short time, then he would immediately be wiped off the face of the earth as a rebel … when the existence of the Roman state ceases, then he (Antichrist) will come. And rightly so, because as long as this state is feared, no one will soon submit (to Antichrist); but after it is destroyed, anarchy will set in, and he will strive to steal all - both human and divine - power. Just as before that the kingdoms were destroyed, namely: the Median - by the Babylonians, the Babylonian - by the Persians, the Persian - by the Macedonians, the Macedonian - by the Romans, so this last will be destroyed by Antichrist, and he himself will be defeated by Christ and will no longer rule.'
The relevance of this to the current situation of Russia may be hinted at in a Christmas greeting from Konstantin Malofeev:
'Merry Christmas, dear friends!
2021 years ago in a cave near Bethlehem in the family of Joseph from Nazareth the Divine Infant Jesus Christ was born. Saint Joseph the Betrothed and the Virgin Mary traveled to Joseph's hometown of Bethlehem to participate in the census. This census was announced by the Great Emperor Caesar Augustus throughout the Roman Empire. And so the Savior of the World, the Lord Jesus Christ, became a subject of the Empire in his earthly life.
The Epiphany sanctified the Augustan Empire and made it the Catechon, the force that keeps the world from evil. Therefore, the Roman Empire will exist until the Second Coming. The first two Romes, Old and New, Constantinople, fell. Moscow is the Third Rome, and there will never be a fourth.
Therefore, for our Orthodox and Monarchist Society "Tsargrad" Christmas is a celebration of the founding of our Faith. Faith in the Kingdom of Heaven and hopes for the revival of the Kingdom of the world - Katechon, the Empire of the Third Rome, in which Christ Himself was born.'