Disturbance and concern are caused at Mount Athos by the notification of a police document, according to which support is requested from the Monasteries for the “entry, accommodation, and movement of police officers and heavy vehicles throughout the Athonian Peninsula for a long period, in order for the service to respond to a request submitted by a judicial officer for the execution of evictions in areas of the Athonite State”.
All eyes turned to the Esphigmenou Monastery, which has been occupied by Zealot monks for over 50 years, and despite the final ruling of the Supreme Court, which is “mandatorily enforceable”, the monastery has not been returned to the legitimate brotherhood, according to voria.gr.
The publication of the document led to a gathering of supporters of the Zealots yesterday morning in Ouranoupoli, while Elder Methodios reiterated his well-known statements, “we will defend the monastery to the death” – after all, for years there has been a banner on the facade of the monastery with the slogan “Orthodoxy or Death”.
The Zealots have stopped commemorating the Ecumenical Patriarch since the early 1970s, while the permanent brotherhood resides in Karyes, and the issue has been pending in the courts for years, until a definitive and irrevocable decision of the Supreme Court was issued for the return of all movable and immovable property of the monastery to the new brotherhood.
Athonite monks who spoke to voria.gr stated that “a police operation, even if it concerns Mount Athos, should not be publicized, especially in this way, as it causes reactions. We do not know what evictions it concerns and the letter is quite vague regarding the time and the number of police officers and vehicles that will enter”.
They also noted that “even the title of the document ‘Provision of assistance’ is unclear. What kind of assistance can we provide to the police?”.
Regarding the possibility of a police operation at Esphigmenou Monastery, Athonite monks argue that “something like this would not be made public with a document of common receipt and would not… be advertised like this for such an intervention”.
It is noted that the document was sent both to the Holy Epistasy and to the Holy Community, as well as to all monasteries. However, it does not mention how many police officers will enter, what kind of heavy vehicles will be transported, and – most importantly – when this will happen.
Judicial decisions exist – apart from Esphigmenou Monastery – for the eviction of monks from Karyulia, while the most recent is that of the Council of State for the removal of a monk from a cell of the Great Lavra Monastery, as he is a Zealot.
“The observance of legality is certainly an obligation of the State through the police, but essentially no one knows exactly in which cases of evictions this document relates. It is unclear regarding the exact operation or operations and as such, at least at this stage, it does not concern us,” commented sources from Mount Athos to voria.gr.
“Let them come”
Elder Methodios – one of those convicted for the extensive incidents of 2013 – speaks to ThessToday.gr and states that in the case of a police operation, they will not remain with crossed hands.
“We are ready to defend the monastery to the death; here is our spiritual homeland. Here we were born spiritually and here we will die. The police are just employees; I do not blame them. They are obliged to do what they are told. And they are after us. We have elderly ones living here for 50, 60,70 years. They forbid us from entering the monastery to get food. We carry things on our backs and walk 1.5 kilometers. Should we let the elderly die because two people want it? For God’s sake, where are we?” he wonders.
According to Elder Methodios, “if the Fathers of the Monasteries and the police come here so that Greeks fight against Greek monks, they should take it out of their repentance. Let them come. And whatever happens, let it happen. If the police drag me and pull me, will the monks sit with their hands tied? Or if they see some officer hitting a monk, will the fathers just sit and watch? Crimes will happen, and they are provoked by these Monks who have no purpose”.
“We never harmed anyone – They lie”
Both in 2006 and in 2013, Mount Athos was tarnished by images of extensive incidents and tensions with police forces, with Elder Methodios claiming that the Monastery has been targeted. “We have nothing against the Holy Community or the Patriarchate. We have issues with people. We only accept what the Holy Fathers left us. They accuse us of things that are not true, that we train Russians. We host anyone who comes; we will give them a piece of bread to eat. Even if they are Turkish, we will offer them a glass of water. And this is done with our own effort because they have taken everything from us. Many times I do not even have 5 euros to buy something for the old man. I compel the other brothers who help us,” he states.
And he adds: “What did they come to do at Mount Athos? We did not come to collect money like them, to have two people take all the monastery’s income. What do they do with it? I have been tried 65 times. Is this God-pleasing? Are they Monks at Mount Athos? We never harmed anyone. We just say what we say. They lie every now and then, saying that we are supposedly hiding Nikos Pappas (a convicted member of Golden Dawn), that we train Russian commandos, if possible. And they tell it to the world, and then they go outside and talk about love. What is love? That when I cannot convince someone to come with me, I make them die of hunger? Is this monastic – Christian love? For God’s sake. If this is Mount Athos, I am sorry.”
The incidents of 2013
It is noted that incidents broke out in July 2013. During the incidents, which were caused by the attempt of judicial officers to evacuate the representative in application of a previous court decision, even Molotov cocktails were thrown.