European Parliament Says Monks Must End 1,000-Year Male Only Tradition

EWTN ^ | 9/12/03

[marshmallow]

Athens, Sep. 11 (LifesiteNews.com/CWN) - For a thousand years, the Greek Orthodox monks of Mount Athos have been praying in quiet and seclusion, unmolested by the outside world. But their peace may be coming to an end in the name of tolerance and non-discrimination. A plenary session of the European Parliament has passed a proposal/report demanding that the Greek government rescind the special protection the monks have enjoyed for a millennium.

Mount Athos (or "Hagion Oros," i.e. Holy Mountain) has constituted the heart of the Orthodox ascetic life for more than one thousand years. As such, it could be said that it also serves as the guardian of what is referred to as the Orthodox Art. In its thousand year tradition, no women have been allowed to visit the island. Now the tolerance and anti-discrimination movement centered in the European Parliament are set to forcibly impose their views on the monks.

"It's simply unbelievable," said Hilary White, spokesman for Campaign Life Catholic. "Is no-one ever to be left alone by these busybodies? As a Catholic woman, I can truly say that I have always been grateful that the monks of Athos have been there praising, worshipping, and interceding with God on my behalf and I have never felt the slightest desire to go there and disturb their peace. Who will liberate us from these tyrants of secularist tolerance when they have eliminated all traces of religious freedom from every corner of the world?"

The Greek Socialist members of the European Parliament refused to vote in favor of the proposal. Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Tassos Yiannitsis said such a demand "would be in direct confrontation with fundamental, 1,000-year-old traditions, our faith, and the monastic spirit of the Mountain."

[Polycarp]

Did you see this, doc?

Thanks for the ping. I saw a similar story earlier this week but never got around to posting it.

More evidence of the signs of the times, not altogether unpredictable.

[Cap'n Crunch]

Ha! Wait 'till President Hitlary gets in there...along with Joe Goebbells Kennedy, Heinrich Waxman and crew...

[As you well know...]

Scr*w the EU

Now that's what I call poetry.

[RightOnline]

Methinks it's time to tell this "European Parliament" to go have sexual relations with themselves. Vigorously.

[sweetliberty]

By what authority do they presume to meddle? Why the h*ll can't these PC busybodies just shut up and go away?

[As you well know...]

Strangely enough, none of these leftist facists ever think to challenge or question the Muslim prohibition...

I think they realise the Muslims would shoot them if they tried such a thing.

We Christians are far more "tolerant." We not only love our atheistic enemies, we let them tell us how to live our Faith

[billbears]

I wouldn't believe this if I hadn't seen it bump. I thought this was some sort of joke. BTW SES, the 9th and 10th were dead long before the Depression

[TexasRepublic]

And there's no way to vote the rascals out.

Perhaps this is the reason for a recent assasination in Sweden.

[Ff--150]

I thought this was some sort of joke.

The joke may be on us believing we are going to be sky-bound when this all hits the fan...

[freedom moose]

This is the results of giving intolerant and bias liberal/socialists the authority to change people's lives according to their own whim.

often true but what about the Greek socialists?
"The Greek Socialist members of the European Parliament refused to vote in favor of the proposal."

IMO southern European socialists tend to be less obsessed with PC nuttiness, although they're still useless.

[RightWhale]

This is the kind of oppression that drove the monks into the wilderness in the first place. And that drove many religious communes to America centuries ago. It will eventually drive some of them to Mars.

[SES1066]

BTW SES, the 9th and 10th were dead long before the Depression

In the interest of improving my knowledge, what date(s) do you assign to the death of these amendments? My feeling is that the FDR Court Packing attempt is what cowed the USSC when there were obvious infringements during the Great Depression.

[SES1066]

... the monks were given "special protection"

I don't know for certain but I would surmise that the Greek Orthodox Church is the official church in Greece. If so, then there are probably a lot of provisions for special treatment of church property throughout the country.

[monkeywrench]

The eu reasons the "special protection" MUST go. After all, how can they build their new world until every vestige of the old one is nothing but a memory? Cultures, traditions must go.

[billbears]

April 9, 1865

[Noachian]

often true but what about the Greek socialists? "The Greek Socialist members of the European Parliament refused to vote in favor of the proposal. "IMO southern European socialists tend to be less obsessed with PC nuttiness, although they're still useless.

This is basically a turf war.

Socialists are still Socialists, and in that respect the Greek Socialists are no different than any other. But all politics are local and the conditions, in Greece, that gave the monks their freedom from Greek Socialists doesn't apply to EU Socialists in another country. So, the Greeks aren't as worried about the monks as they are about outsiders delving into Greek politics.

Socialists aren't concerned with freedoms - just with ideology. As good Socialist foot soldiers the Greeks will eventually fall into line with their EU brethren and bargain away the monk's freeedom in the better interest of the EU Socialist state.

[scripter]

Thanks for the ping.