first i would like to comment on the statement that there are two "monasteries" under Greek Old Calendarists on Mt Athos (one under Abp Chrysostomos II of Athens, the other under the Lamia Synod): when speaking of Mt Athos, terminology becomes somewhat more important than usual. There are only 20 MONASTERIES on Mt Athos; one, Esphigmenou, is indeed under Abp Chrysostomos II of Athens. I can guarantee there is no MONASTERY on Mt Athos under the Lamia Synod, however, that does not mean the Lamia Synod has no presence on Mt Athos (although I do not know if they do or not). All other monastic establishments on Mt Athos, other than the 20 ruling Monasteries (so-called because these 20 Monasteries control all the other monastic properties on Mt Athos in theory) are referred to as sketes, kellions, kalyvas, etc. For example, the Russsians only have ever had ONE MONASTERY on Mt Athos-Saint Panteleimon's. There were several Russian Sketes-Saint Andrew's, Prophet Elias, Bogoroditsa, and most likely others-Saint Andrew's and Prophet Elias were, in their "prime," home to more monks possibly than any other MONASTERIES on Mt Athos besides St Panteleimon's. But, the EP was not about to allow these Sketes, no matter the size, to be named as MONASTERIES, because of the ruling and administrative privileges of Monasteries on Mt Athos, vs. that of their dependencies-the Sketes, Kellias, etc.
Prophet Elias Skete is a dependency of Pantokrator Monastery. Pre-World War I, when Prophet Elias Skete was home to some three thousand monks, Pantokrator Monastery, smaller in physical size, and home to a very great lesser number of monks, was the ecclesiastical superior of Prophet Elias Skete. When the EP wanted to get rid of the ROCOR monks on Mt Athos, they also had to get rid of the Abbot and Monastic Council of Pantokrator, because those monks did not wish to eject the ROCOR monks; and, in a show of very dubious legality, the EP replaced the Abbot and Council at Pantokrator, who then conveniently ejected the ROCOR monks for the EP....The various dependencies of the 20 Monasteries pay some sort of taxes to their ruling Monasteries; the number 20 is fixed by the Charter of Athos-no more Monasteries can be founded there. These 20 have been in existence, I believe, since the fourteenth century.
So, after having gone on for wayyyyyyyy too long-Esphigmenou is the only MONASTERY on Mt Athos that does not recognize Pat Bartholomew as its "Bishop." The Lamia Synod may have a skete or a kellia or a kalyva ("hut"), but it does not have a Monastery, in the Athonite sense of the term.
After showing how I know soooooo very much about that subject, I am gonna show how very little I know about the next! HOW MANY groups of Greek Old Calendarists are there? I know the very rudimentary basics about the "Chrysostomites," the "Auxentiites" (are they still called that?)and the "Cyprianites." Oh, yeh, and the "Matthewites." The Lamia Synod (does anyone call them the "Lamiaites?")-I have heard it referred to but havent got a clue (in fact i was kicked off the Orthodox Traditionalist list on yahoo-a guy posted this extremely long deal about the Lamia Synod-he even started out with the correct pronounciation of "Lamia," compared it to other similarly pronounced and spelled words, even gave different definitions!!!!-then the history, all of which i remember is that it was extremely long and extremely complicated. -uh- kinda like this? i posted a question to the guy, asking something like, 'whoa dude-did you actually memorize all of that or did you copy it straight out of something?' the moderator told me i was showing contempt for the Greek Old Calendar movement and that i had to go! now!!!!!!) Soooooo-are there yet other Greek Old Calendar groups? Are there completely bogus "Greek Old Calendar groups"-uh-vagante types claiming this persuasion as a meal ticket? Comparable to some of our "independent orthodox groups" here in the good ole USA? Wasnt Bishop Gregory of ROAC formerly in the Lamia Synod? Someone mentioned the Lamia Synod and ROAC were "close"-Bishop Gregory's -uh- defection to ROAC didnt muddy the waters? Anybody have any idea of comparative sizes of these different groups? I have been told that the "Auxentiites" and the "Cyprianites" are in the minority in Greece compared to the "Chrysostomites." So-are the Lamia Synod and the Matthewites very tiny groups? I have been to one Greek Old Calendar Church-Saints Anargyroi/Saint Nektarios in the Chicago area-Metropolitan Pavlos served with another Bishop from Greece-very nice service, quite a bit of difference from a Russian Hierarchical Liturgy. I think it was their thirtieth anniversary-and they had a ROCOR connection-when they were founded Abp Seraphim of Chicago helped them get a place to hold services until they could get a church. so, anyway-anybody got all this info on at their fingertips?
michael woerl
Second, if you were to tell me that there were only a few Churches, and that you weren't in communion with you, I'd have to think longer and harder about that. I'm not saying that such a situation (with a few thousands of people being the extent of Orthodoxy), but I'd have to pray a lot to be ok with the idea that this is such a time, that things really have gotten that bad.