The fight for the monastery of Esphigmenu: Greek police without permission to evict the schismatic brotherhood from the sanctuary

The Greek police did not get permission Saint Epistasia, governing body Mount Athos, to enforce the court's decision with strong forces and "large vehicles" and evict the monks of the Esphigmen monastery, and instead Saint Epistasia asked the police to specify their request.

At the meeting of St. Epistasia, it was concluded that the request of the police is "unclear" and therefore it was decided to ask for its specification, so that the administration of St. Gora could decide on it, reports N1.

Previously, the police were preparing to carry out an operation aimed at expelling 118 monks living in the Esfigmen Monastery on Mount Athos, which has been at odds with the rest of Mount Athos, the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the wider Orthodox community for years.

That schism originates from the protest of the brotherhood of the Esfigmenu monastery against the ecumenical engagement of the Ecumenical Patriarch with the Catholic Church and other institutions, but also because of the announcements that women will be allowed to visit Mount Athos.

While the other monasteries of Mount Athos had previously expressed their dissatisfaction by ceasing to mention the patriarch during divine services, the brotherhood of the Esfigmenu monastery opted for a more radical attitude and connected with the schismatic group of the so-called "old calendarists".

Others adhered to the original Julian calendar

The term "old calendarists" is associated with groups of Orthodox Christians who separated from the official churches because some of them adopted the Julian calendar revised by scientist Milutin Milanković, while "old calendarists" remained attached to the original Julian calendar.

Since the Constitution and the regulations governing Mount Athos prohibit monks from cooperating with schismatic groups or living in community with them, the monks from the Esfigmenu monastery have already tried to move out of the monastery several times, and now the police are preparing for another eviction attempt, the website writes. Greek city times.

Police have submitted a request to St. Epistasia, Mount Athos' governing monastic body representing 20 monasteries, seeking approval for a full-scale operation involving significant police forces and vehicles.

Ready to defend the monastery "to the death"

In response to the police request, the abbot of the monastery Metodije and the monks stated that they are firm in their determination to defend their monastery.

"We are ready to defend the monastery to the death, this is our spiritual homeland." This is where we were born spiritually, and this is where we will die," says Abbot Methodius.

He describes the police as ordinary officers who only carry out orders and warns of the possibility of internal conflicts

Abbot Methodius points out that the Mount Athos authorities should reconsider if they come with the police and force the Greeks to fight against the Greek monks.

"They accuse us of things that are not true, of training the Russians." Whoever comes, we will host him, we will give him a piece of bread to eat," says abbot Metodije, as reported by the website Greek Reporter.

Abbot Methodius claims that the difference between the mohan Esphygmenus and the universal patriarch is of a spiritual nature.

"We don't consider him Orthodox because of what he does, considering that his actions are against the Orthodox Church and that's why we don't respect him," says Abbot Methodius.

He assesses that "European money is a Trojan horse that will destroy Mount Athos, because, at the request of the European Union, women will be allowed to enter Mount Athos."

A long history of conflict

How serious the monks of the Esfigmenu monastery are is also shown by the earlier incidents in which they participated when the police tried to evict them.

After many years of misunderstandings, arguments and going to court, in 2006 a fight broke out between monks from the Esfigmenu monastery and monks who tried to enter this building to start the construction of a new building.

The scuffle at the entrance soon turned into a fierce conflict, after which the monks from the monastery rushed with sticks, iron bars and fire extinguishers at the fellow monks who, armed with similar tools, tried to enter the monastery yard.

Seven monks were injured, and four ended up in the hospital, while a black flag with the inscription "Orthodoxy or death" was left flying on the walls of the monastery.

A big incident also happened in 2013, when a photo showing a monk throwing a "Molotov cocktail" at the police went around the world.

Prison sentences

Originally, Abbot Methodius and another monk were sentenced to 2017 years in prison for this in 20, and six other monks received sentences of 10 years and four months.

However, those sentences were subsequently reduced in 2019 and 2021 to 17 years, i.e. 9 years and five months, and then further to five and a half years, and two years and nine months.

In July 2020, the Greek courts demanded that the schismatics hand over all property to the new brotherhood of the Esphigmen monastery, which was established by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in 2005 and currently resides in the capital of Mount Athos, Kareia.

After that verdict, the authorities began the process of eviction of the monks, which was postponed for the time being by the decision of Saint Epistasia.