Posted on 10/21/2006 12:14:44 PM PDT by gimmeone
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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