Translation of article from The National Herald (Ethniko Kyrika)
Saturday/Sunday Edition, January 18/19, 2003, Page 4
By Demetri Tsaka
“Whoever does not agree with the Patriarch and does not commemorate his name, they threaten with expulsion from Mount Athos,” said one of the monks living on Mount Athos, to the National Herald, who requested to remain anonymous because of fear of being expelled himself.
“The measures which they have taken are asphyxiating, and they have put us in all in a state of agitation. We don’t have a place to say our prayers.” he added, reminding us again that “Those who do not commemorate the patriarch are in the minority, and most of them are elderly.”
“The administration of Mount Athos is trying to get rid of us who are younger, because the elderly hieromonks and monks who do not commemorate the patriarch are dying off one after another.”
“The administration of Mount Athos, does not accept the registration of the younger monks who do not commemorate the Patriarch so that at any time they can expel them from Mount Athos.”
In conclusion, this monk who does not commemorate the Patriarch said, “We do not involve ourselves with the press, therefore we do not bother anyone. The only thing we desire is to be left alone so we can be free to continue our monastic life.” Concluded the monk, who refuses to commemorate the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
In the recent announcement to the press, the Holy Monastery of Esphigmenou says “the Holy Monastery of Esphigmenou, with the most monks of any monastery of Mount Athos, considers as unprovoked and unprecedented in the annals of Orthodox monasticism, the expulsion of 117 ascetic monastics, by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Committee of the Holy Community of Mount Athos, and the civil administration.
Furthermore, it refers to the escalation of measures for the persecution of monks who do not commemorate the Patriarch. And among other things, it notes that in June 2001, the Holy Community and the Greek government abolished the visitor permits for Esphigmenou only, thereby obstructing the unimpeded entrance of friends and pilgrims to the monastery on Mount Athos.
Later, the same people, the Patriarch and the Holy Community, requested of the Greek government that they freeze the government payments which the monastery is rightfully entitled to [for expropriated lands]. And in October of 2001, the acting governor of Mount Athos sent a letter to all the Greek Banks, freezing any possible assets. Also the Committee of the Holy Community, prohibited access to the monastery to all vehicles carrying supplies, even with such basic needs as food, medicine and fuel.
Finally, the acting governor of Mount Athos, with a decision which was presented to us on December 30th,calls upon the monks of Esphigmenou to surrender to the Holy Community the following items: the seal of the monastery, any cash on hand, the antiquities of the monastery, the library, all sacred items, all property records of the monastery, and finally to abandon the premises by the 28th of January, otherwise they will be expelled. So ends the public announcement to the press.
The tension
The tension between the Ecumenical Patriarch and the state on the one hand, and the scared monastery of Esphigmenou on Mount Athos on the other hand, goes back to 1972.
This tension, as the National Herald has revealed in previous articles, was aggravated and took on new dimensions this past summer, as the representative of the Greek Government placed obstacles to pilgrims who wanted to visit the monastery. The Abbott of the holy monastery of Esphigmenou on Mount Athos, Archimandrite Methodios, had repeatedly made clear that “the issue is that we do not commemorate the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew” [because he is preaching heresy and has violated countless church canons].
“Frequently they tell us that we are illegal and threaten us that if we do not commemorate the Ecumenical Patriarch that we will not receive any help. And in fact this is what has happened. But we are not illegal, we have been here for over 1000 years.” In the monastery of Esphigmenou there reside 100 monks, while the total number, together with those who have official duties elsewhere, totals more than 118.
Monastery of Esphigmenou
The monastery of Esphigmenou is built on the Northeastern seashore of the Chalkidiki peninsula. Tradition has it that it was established in the 5th century. The monastery is first mentioned in the year 1,001. In the 16th century it was destroyed by pirates, but was restored again. The central church of the monastery, dedicated to the Holy Ascension, has wall icons dating to 1811 and 1818. The monastery has 8 chapels. In its rich library there are kept 230 manuscripts and 2,000 publications. Amongst the heirlooms, there is a portable 13th century mosaic icon.