Posted on 04/25/2011 1:08:48 PM PDT by GonzoII
(CBS News) On this Easter Sunday, we're going to take you to a place outside our world. It's not Mars or Venus but it might as well be. It's a remote peninsula in northern Greece that millions believe to be the most sacred spot on Earth.
It's called Mount Athos and prayers have been offered there every day, with no interruption, for more than a thousand years. It was set aside by ancient emperors to be the spiritual capital of Orthodox Christianity and has probably changed less over the centuries than any other inhabited place on the planet. The monks come to Mount Athos from all over and do everything they can to keep what they call "the world" far away.
Traveling to holy Mt. Athos Producer Michael Karzis takes you on a high-stakes adventure: shooting a "60 Minutes" story in one of the holiest places on Earth.
Not surprisingly, journalists are not exactly welcome. For more than two years, we've been corresponding, negotiating and, frankly, pleading, for an invitation, but ran into one monastic wall after another. Then, much to our surprise, and delight, a few months ago, the monks invited us to visit.
A Byzantine cross by the sea marks the border between Mount Athos and the 21st century. The monks come there, as they always have, for the beauty, the tranquility and the isolation. But mostly they come for the religious way of life that has hardly changed in more than a thousand years.
Photos: A visit to Mt. Athos Video: Patriarch Bartholomew
Father Iakovos is one of a few Americans on the mountain; he's been there more than half his life. "You have to understand, the words that we're saying in today's liturgy, are the same words that Christ was saying
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Ping.
Was absolutely outstanding!!!
I enjoyed the Mt.Athos segments, too. The various websites about the area are also interesting.
However, the ignorance of CBS was noticeable in many small ways.
First, a pretty famous journalist (Michael Lewis, author of Liar's Poker, The Blind Side and The Big Short) visited Mount Athos very recently and wrote a very critical piece on it - CBS' access was not quite as amazing as they claimed.
Also, the way of life practiced at Mount Athos is remarkably similar - practically identical - to the way of life practiced by Latin Carthusian monks.
The documentary Into Great Silence from 2007 documents that quite well.
There is a Carthusian monastery in Vermont, about a 45 minute flight from NYC.
:)
Here’s an appropriate chance from Vatopaidi at the Holy Mountain:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkrAqsgLAV8
i like mount athos if you can tell by my name
If I watch this stuff will they explain in what sense a mass of rock is held to be “holy” by a nominally Christian bunch?
If I watch this stuff will they explain in what sense a mass of rock is held to be “holy” by a nominally Christian bunch?
It can’t compare to TBN’s Holy Land Theme Park in Florida, but it’s worth a look..
Great job by CBS.
Sad about the monks though.
Probably not. Monks generally are not given to much self promotion.
I can’t think of anyone better to describe the nominally Christian viewpoint than yourself! Go for it.
I frankly don’t understand it. That’s why I asked. Got an answer or just content condemning my soul to hell?
“a nominally Christian bunch”
Seriously DManA...we Orthodox are anything but “nominal”. Thanks for the insult anyways. 8-)
Wasn’t an insult. I was giving them the benefit of the doubt. Christians believe ONLY God is Holy. So I am assuming the headline is actually misleading and they don’t really hold that the mountain is “Holy”.
Technically I think Mt. Athos is not part of the EU.
The Mountain itself is not Holy but it is a location from whence a number of holy prayers to the Holy of Holies, God, go from
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