| Mount Athos Monk Killed | |
| Thessaloniki, Greece February 8, 2003 (AP) - A 25-year-old hermit monk died after accidentally driving his tractor off a cliff in an attempt to dodge police who have barricaded the monastery, authorities said Sunday. The incident occurred early Saturday in the Orthodox Christian sanctuary of Mount Athos, where the Esphigmenou Greek monks guard the Faith and Sacred Ground of the monastery has been sealed off by police since Jan. 29. Police said the monk, Tryfonas, who lived in solitary quarters, tried to retrieve a tractor outside the monastery grounds during the night to avoid police detection and drove off the side of a cliff. |