Persecution of Mount Athos' Esphigmenou Monastery by the EP

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

Its hard to say exactly what happened, I know that each judge that was going to finally rule on the case in court was overcome with health problems.

In the end, I think it was figured best to just let it fizzle out.

But this has been going on for years now, and its certainly not over now.

http://ecclesiagoc.org/index.cfm?pID=148

[Reader Luca]

Does anybody have more informations about this sad news on Esphigmenou? :ohvey:
Reader Luca (Italy)

http://portal-credo.ru/site/print.php?act=news&id=26119

New Threat to Athos' Esfigmenou Monastery

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople announced a new way to help
put an end to the rebellious Esfigmenous Monastery -- the only
monastery on the Holy Mountain Athos which is not in dialogue with
ecumenists -- according to "Vertograd".

The patriarch decided not to expel the monks, but, using the Holy
Mountain's constitution, to replace the Esfigmenou Monastery's
abbot, Hegumen Methodios by mid-September and to remove from the
monastery its five most active monks, including the abbot's main
assistant, Hiermonk Gregory.

Moreover, since none of the monastery residents is going to remain
under the authority of the new abbot, therefore, according to the
script conceived by Patriarch Batholomew, they will voluntarily leave
the monastery.

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

This is how Bartholomew has wrestled control of the mountain - the are called the "new" fathers of Mt. Athos.

Well, any new "monks" at Esphigmenou can go get food an water at one of Bartholomew's latinizing communities...and then try to get back in.

[Nektarios]

I really doubt that any of the Monks of Esphigmenou would actually listen to the EP if he tried to make a new abbot of Esphigmenou. They have done every thing to disobey him so far and I dong think they are gonna change there abbot and expele the 5 active monks just cuz the EP said they are expelled, I would tell the heretical EP To go pound sand, just like they have been doing.

In Christ
Nektarios

[Nektarios]

Regardless of what Athos Constitution says also, Im sure, they havnt listen to the EP himself why would they listen to the Athos Constitution? The Holy Monks of Esphigmenou arnt going to get rid of there abbot because of the EP or because of what some paper says. I wouldnt at least.

[Nektarios]

I am seriously considering the Chrysostom II synod, OOD can you talk to me more about that?

[Reader Luca]

Source : http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_ar ... 2005_54266

Court backs rebel monks’ ouster

Greece’s highest administrative court has rejected an appeal by a rebel Mount Athos abbot against an order, by the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate, for his eviction from the 1,000-year-old Esphigmenou Monastery.

According to court sources quoted yesterday by the Athens News Agency, the Council of State ruled that it had no jurisdiction to decide whether Esphigmenou abbot Methodios was a schismatic who should leave the monastery, as the Patriarchate has declared. The court decided that, under Greece’s constitution, the patriarchate has supreme spiritual authority over the semi-autonomous Mount Athos monastic community and is not subject to judicial scrutiny of such matters.

The eviction order, issued in December 2002, followed the ultra-Orthodox Esphigmenou monks’ persistent refusal to acknowledge the authority of Patriarch Vartholomaios, due to their opposition to his efforts to improve relations with the Catholic Church. The split dates to 1964, when the patriarch of the day, Athinagoras, met with Pope Paul VI. Orthodox zealots regard the pope as evil personified.

Methodios’s 90-odd followers in the monastery have been ordered out. They have appealed to the Council of State. The 2002 eviction order led to an eight-week police siege of the monastery, which was suspended pending the court process.
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