Posted on 10/21/2006 12:14:44 PM PDT by gimmeone
Thessalonica, Greece, October 20, 2006 - The Greek Government will move, as early as this weekend, to have armed police forcibly remove the monks of the Holy and Sacred Monastery of Esphigmenou from their monastery property. Over 150 police have been deployed on Mt. Athos, an unprecedented number in a community entirely populated by peaceful and defenseless monks.
The monks, who seek only a life of peace and prayer in their monastery, have been subject to a non-stop campaign of official harassment and intimidation by Patriarch Bartholomew of Istanbul, Turkey, and his accomplices in the Greek government, because of a spiritual disagreement they have with him.
This week the Greek government announced it would prosecute the monks for embezzlement. This is a fundamental abuse of power that may be commonplace in the world’s most repressive dictatorships, but not something we expect from a free and democratic Greece. The charge lacks credibility, as it seems the prosecutor has forgotten that in an earlier round of the government’s campaign of harassment and intimidation, they confiscated and emptied all of the monastery’s bank accounts.
The Greek Government, acting under Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyiannis, has blockaded the delivery of food, medicine, fuel oil and have denied access to doctors seeking to provide urgently needed medical care to the elderly monks. They have cut the monastery’s telephone lines in a clumsy attempt to cut off their communication and hide their persecution from the outside world. They have confiscated their tractors so they cannot grow food to sustain themselves. They have expelled workers who have worked at the monastery for years, and voided their pensions and government benefits for providing help to the monastery.
The abuses of human rights to it own citizens by the Greek government and Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyiannis, could go on for pages.
Last week, in a display of judicial backwardness found only in banana republics, the Greek Court in Thessalonica found the monks guilty of the absurd charge of “disturbing the peace” and of being illegal occupants of their monastery home for 1500 years, while simultaneously allowing those who attacked the monks with sledgehammers to go free.
As Patriarch Bartholomew and the government of Greece descend further into the pit of backwardness and medieval religious persecution, the protests from religious leaders and lay people around the world are growing. On October 13th, Bishop Stephen, primate of the Italo-Greek Orthodox church, wrote to Patriarch Bartholomew “your treatment and persecution of the monks of Esphigmenou is a scandal to the Church and an embarrassment to all Orthodox Christians throughout the world. It sullies the good name of the Orthodox Church . . . Such behavior and acts are barbaric and take us back to the Dark Ages and for this Your All-Holiness should be deeply ashamed”
In the history of the church over 23 Patriarchs of Constantinople have been condemned for heresy.
This weekend, Patriarch Bartholomew will visit Mt. Athos to lay a cornerstone for a new monastery, on land confiscated from the monastery of Esphigmenou. In an unprecedented move, the Greek government has banned all media outlets from covering the Patriarch’s visit to Mt. Athos. Only the Greek State owned and controlled TV station will be allowed to cover his visit. It is expected that armed police will forcibly remove the monks before the Patriarch's visit to fulfill his desire of a Disney-like atmosphere, where everything looks nice on the surface, but in reality is all fake.
The Greek Prosecutors office in Thessalonica, headed by Vassilis Florides (tel: +30-697-388-5888), has threatened grave consequences to anyone who dares to raise their voice to protest the Patriarch’s actions.
For More Information Contact John Rigas +1-617-971-0091
On the net at www.esphigmenou.com
What on earth is this all about?
What is it that they hope to gain by this? The monks of Mt. Athos never offended ME any.
To say the least, this sounds as one-sided as a NYTimes report on the Republican National Convention. What's the patriarch's side?
This is anti-Christian bigotry at its worst. The Greek government is acting like an Islamic dictatorship.
Where is the UN Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, the Red Cross and other "humanitarian" organizations while this is going on?
Seems they are too busy fighting for the rights of terrorists, to defend the rights of truly innocent people being abused by their government.
http://www.esphigmenou.com
Clickable link
ping
Perhaps you should also link an article describing the other side of the story. This is the most biased source imaginable describing an issue that most people here have no idea about. Not a good combo.
Something about your namesake.
OK, I went to their website and I still don't get it.
What control does the Patriarch of Istanbul have over this monks? Why is the Greek government helping him?
Is this a property dispute? I imagine the land in that location is now more valuable than it has been in 1,500 years.
From Orthodox Wiki: Esphigmenou Monastery (Athos)
Esphigmenou monastery has existed since the tenth century, although Athonite tradition attributes its founding to Empress Pulcheria, the sister of Emperor Theodosius II, in the fifth century.
The monastery library contains 372 manuscripts and over 8,000 printed books. Among the treasures held by the monastery, Esphigmenou's most treasured possession is the icon of Our Lady Eleousa. In addition to relics of saints, the monastery possesses the so-called cross of Pulcheria and a large part of the tent used by Napoleon. The tent remnant is used as the curtain for the sanctuary door in the katholikon on the feast day of the Holy Ascension.
From Wikipedia: The monks there have broken with the Patriarchate of Constantinople over what they decry as violation of the doctrines of the Church, with regards to the Patriarchate's ecumenist policy and its relations with non-orthodox Christians.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/11/europe/EU_REL_Greece_Monks_Dispute.php
So these monks were basically undermining the hierarchy and being disobedient 'cause they don't want to get anymore friendly with the Roman Church.
This is in contradiction with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I who's based in Istanbul.
So the Patriarch brands the monks schematics and tells them to vacate the Orthodox Church owned monastery.
I guess the Patriarch got tired of the Esphigmenou monks ignoring his order to get out and sent over a "goon squad" of monks under his control.
Of course, once he made that decision, it was going to get ugly as it apparently has.
The Greek Government is essentially acting in concert with the Orthodox Church in serving the eviction notice.
It will probably end very badly.
Ah the false confidence inspired by spell check.
As a Roman Catholic, I don't agree with the theology of the monks. Nonetheless, this approach is just wrong.
I agree.
Wrong move.
That also hapened in Serbia when police cahsed-out a mixed male/female brotherhood in one of the monasteries, they were Zilots and went against oficial Serb Ortodox Church policy.
I dont agree with Zilot philosophy, but police bustingt-in in monasteries... man Turkes and nazis didnt do that!
just imagine Italian police bursting into Vatican and chasing preiests!
Athos should get full independence and became Christian micro-state.
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