Crucea.ro

By Mr. Odyseas Tsologiannis

See here the negative things of Athonite monks, giving the outside world a blurred image and make the average citizen to ask: Where is the Athonite Orthodox monasticism heading? Orthodox Monasticism is basically anchoretic. Some leave the world and withdraw to Athos or another monastic centre, because, as they say, do not stand to see injustice, exploitation, apostasy and other evils. They do not examine whether the flight is bravery or defeatism, if that is consistent with the request of the Lord. «Father, I beg for them (his disciples) not to withdraw them from the world, but protect them from the evil (in the world). »

I will only emphasize here that every anchoret at the place where he is busy in asceticism, should occupy himself with holy things (such as prayer, study of the Holy Bible, work, etc.), and exercise, must pursue, according to their vows of obedience, poverty and chastity. But in the world in recent years, mainly from the economic integration of Greece in Europe and the absorbing packets from Athonite monasteries, circulates another picture of the organized monasticism and the monks, that:

1. Almost all the monasteries, despite the psalm «I will never accept honour from evil men (Note: here the heretics are included too), because I am always praying against their evil deeds». They accepted plenty of European money, and I am afraid that here prevails the rule of the Apostle Paul «But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition». (St. Paul to Timothy A - Chapter 6: 9). With the packages of financial help from the heretics (Papists and Protestants) the simplicity of the Athonite buildings changed into shining palaces with marble, porcelain, suites, special heating, beds, linen, bathrooms, etc. In particular areas in which distinguished people are hosted, the state, and political leaders, the rich, the patriarchs, Metropolitan bishops, etc., were converted into 5 star hotels.

2. Monasteries, which by definition do not deal with properties, do not seem so consistent with the vow of poverty, since they do not deal with the basic necessities for their survival, but with financial firms (business) to handle millions and billions of Euros, exchange with the State or with other financial firms, as demonstrated by the scandal of the Vatopedi Monastery, which made «exchanges» of two buildings of high monetary value, (when assessed by the Revenue Taxation office roughly ten million Euros), because it gave the lake and took part in the Olympic Village and another tourist site, the exchange took place outside the legal route, that is to say, without the involvement of the Taxation Office and without valid proof of ownership. The profits of the above mentioned at the level that I do not know if some firms listed at the Athens Stock Exchange earn annually.

3. These days many Christians and in particular young people, that had some
relationship with the Holy Mount Athos, (in recent years this has become very fashionable) they exasperate and scandalize Christians and renounce their Christian status while they watch the news on the financial scandals of the Vatopedi Monastery, and wonder: «Can it be that the monks have a real relationship with the truth in Christ and with the Spirit? Have their hearts and their interests been absorbed by material things and have not left inside place for Christ? How can they say that they are imitators of the simplicity of the barefoot and homeless Nazarene? What example do they give us? What do they talk about the soul the given to mammon? If these things happen on Mount Athos, where everyone knew that something was still alive from the faith, then everything is finished». What will respond then, the «saints» to the reasonable questions of young people? That they are donations and bequests to the Holy Monastery? And who will be convinced that as legacies that make rich the monastery, but the monks live in poverty? Who will be convinced that the monasteries practise charity, that doesn’t seem to concern the elders while there are both hunger and poverty in the world?

None. Because they also see the heavy cars and jeeps, with which the monks often move. And see the luxury and fantastic meals. They also see and the lack of interest for the services and prayer. They see their dwelling places modified into 6 stars. They watch everything. So other things in words and others in actions? Then let us search now to find the «saints» the millstone for the heroic dive in deep waters.

 

4. In connection with the scandal of the Vatopedi Monastery in recent days were said and written the «honorary» adjectives «barbarian adventurers», «real estate brokers», «people seeking money laundering», «manager», «World Economic Forum», «Davos of Switzerland»,«conqueror stamped», «business paradise», «offshore»,«outsource and offshore companies», and more. If these cause the name of the Lord to be defamed the name throughout the nations, I fear that the Vatopedi Monastery’s ear does not sweat at all. Since these don’t sweat, the public prosecutor must intervene to control the illegality, enter the relative sentences, in order to restore somehow the soul’s killer scandal. Mister Prosecutor, command according to the height of your mission.

5. Many monasteries exploit some relics, including sacred relics, which in Co-operation with various Metropolises, they display at a common worship, putting near them a basket, so the worshippers throw the «sacred» pilgrim’s tax. The total of all the collections are usually high and untaxed, and is split in half, according to the Psalms «know righteousness those who dwell on earth». I wonder if a camera would be take a picture in the background showing the «counting of the cash», how interesting scenes would it show? Nothing has remained unnoticed to the fact that those who carry them appear publicly with some theatrical devotion towards them, but in their private places they throw them to a corner and leave them there, like, let’s say, a common object, often chatting and even cheerful and ridiculous things or giggling.

6. One striking discrimination that those who carry the sacred relics monks or executives of metropolias do is that, because the official politicians and other representatives do not line up to venerate them, they bring them to their homes, namely to their palaces. And what is the reason? They are busy. They do not have a lot of time at their disposal. They have many heavy responsibilities and many tasks. They do not have spare time from emptying the state coffers and the poor people’s insurance funds. Because, being honest, the frequent scandals that are heard of so often, showing where the ministers and parliamentarians’ minds and what «business» they spend their time and their vigour. If someone thinks that certain scandals need planning, secrecy and accuracy in the movements, similar to those thieves and criminals do, it is not difficult to draw the conclusion that they are actually engaged in «large» things and indeed the holy relics must be carried («delivery») to their villas, and to have the assistance of the relics or the holy belt of the Theotokos in the conception and beginning of the scandals.

7. Many of the executives responsible for monastic brotherhoods have been updated electronically like those who live in the world and sometimes more than them. They have been seen this way holding two modern mobile phones in their hands, which, as you know, other than phones, cameras, film, video camera and tape recorder, etc. They accept dozens of calls in their cellular phones from the world every day. Many of these calls are from the world, which they are supposed to have renounced in order to live in virginity and purity away from the presence of women, (we mean the physical and legal presence, since it was God who gave us women). They accept most calls from pious women, who do not cease to be women and challenge with their slim voices and with much more. But in this way however the «saints» destroy with their own hands the no-passing (Avaton) of Mount Athos, since they associate with women on the telephone. It isn’t excluded to show also the picture of women in a cellular phone. Athonite monks frequently exit to the world and nuns’ monasteries and cellular phones too have abolished, I repeat, the so-called no-passing (Avaton) long ago. Someone will say: And since they ask for prayers and advice? True. But monks are not shepherds. If they were to exercise pastoral care and associate with women, they should not have left the world. Since they have departed from the world, they should not deal with its problems, because it effectively exercises pastoral care, which is incompatible with the anchoretic life. “Either priest - priest or shepherd - shepherd,” people say. And “two watermelons in one armpit are not possible”. They can certainly pray for everyone.

8. We are not talking now about the invasion of the internet in the holy Athonite monasteries and the others places, which can be made useful variety, as it can bring the monk operator from the most holy to the most obscene. Of course someone will say that there is some censorship on the Internet, but if the user wants to see, he will see and the devil does not make exceptions. The devil annoys the monks. And parents «do» censorship what their children see on the Internet, but often children are more informed and «progressive» than their parents! “A Hundred years old fox, and one hundred and ten years old the little foxes.”

 

9. Some monasteries get involved in elections of ecclesiastical persons and political factors in elections, maintain close relations and provide hospitality for summer vacation to kings, princes, prime ministers, ministers, MPs, judges and other extremely wealthy people who have power in specially designed apartments, as stated, not like those that host only three days for ordinary pilgrims. Full implementation of equal treatment of the pilgrims! They put on airs with these people, create worldly friendship, and when elections take place, they manifest in their favour and scandalize people; they «cash» the favour or the spiritual paternity with different benefits, which they accept from these people.

10. Many monasteries of monks have under their spiritual guidance and supervision and dependence of women's monasteries in places outside or near the Athonite peninsula and certain abbots or priests of these monasteries with the pretext of confession nuns, are absent from their monasteries for relatively long periods of time to such an extent that the monks often resent it because their monastery is headless, they stagnate blissfully in nuns’ monasteries.

I cannot understand how can be explained the stay of several days of unmarried priests in nuns’ monasteries. Besides the choice that one man makes to live the ascetic life of departure and withdrawal from the world does not reconcile with the exercise of pastoral work (confession, settlement of various internal and administrative issues of nuns’ monasteries). It is on the contrary from each other. It is in contrast with the chastity vow. Couldn’t the work of confession of nuns be supposedly entrusted to a respectable retired married priest to avoid scandals?

11. All the autonomous administration of the State of Athos often welcomes the heresiarch patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew and now recently again, some monasteries invite him with honours and glory, with their own initiative in order to «brighten» their ceremonies and festivals, and deify with the addresses the gifts and flattering words.

We recall that Bartholomew gets weary for his heretical beliefs, his ecumenical inter-religions’ conceptions for concelebrations, receptions and concelebrations with the Antichrist pope, his inappropriate pastime with ecology, this atheist and Antichrist movement, that deifies the creation against the Creator, for the conversion Orthodoxy into a papal uniate party, for being an abolisher of Ecumenical Synods, for insult against the Holy Fathers who took part in the Councils, for his hatred and threat against Orthodox resistants who give him a piece of their minds, for his impudence and audacity, which make him the most dangerous clergyman of the Orthodox Church due to his position.

The Athonite monks honour Bartholomew and associate with him and exhibit him, by confusing institutions and people, fortunately not all, and these few ones are in Bartholomew’s muzzle.

As the bastion of Orthodoxy, the Holy Mount Athos should have denounced him long time ago until he renounces up his heretical conceptions, but unfortunately the monks spoil him and he becomes audacious and expands.

Who expected this from Mount Athos?

Is it excessive what someone said that, as the Holy Mount Athos goes, and if the devil disguises as a patriarch, the Athonite monks will receive him with the same honour and with the same grandeur?

Shout it, Apostle Paul, «Come out from among them, and be separate».

(2 Corinthians 6:17)

The Athonite monks “write you in their old shoes.” * (Greek proverb)

(The Athonite monks ignore you.)

 

 

Translation from the original Greek: Christos Politis

Owner of “The Old Calendarist Greek Orthodox List”

Taken from the magazine HOLY TRADITION, October 2008

 

 

Notes:

Greek idiom: “Either priest - priest or shepherd-shepherd,”

You can’t be a priest and shepherd at the same time. One of the two won’t be made as well as the other one. So you have to chose which of the two you can do better.

Greek idiom: "“two watermelons in one armpit are not possible.”

It means that it is too much for you. It is over your powers. The first two Greek idioms have a similar meaning.

Greek idiom: “A Hundred years old fox, and one hundred and ten years old the little foxes.”

Ironic usage. It means that when someone pretends to be clever. You will say: If you are clever, well, I am one hundred times cleverer than you are.

Greek idiom: " write you in their old shoes.”

It means to ignore someone.

Gheorghe Vanau