Greek Police Prepare for Major Operation to Evict Schismatic Esphigmenou Monastery on Mt. Athos

Greek police are reportedly gearing up to execute an operation aimed at evicting 118 monks residing at Esphigmenou Monastery on Mt. Athos.

The monastery has been in schism from the rest of the Holy Mountain, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the broader Orthodox community for several years. This schism stems from the brotherhood's protest against the Patriarch of Constantinople's ecumenical engagements with the Catholic Church and other institutions.

While various Athonite monasteries have previously expressed discontent by ceasing to commemorate the Patriarch during Divine services, the Esphigmenou brotherhood has opted for a more radical stance by aligning themselves with a schismatic, Old Calendarist jurisdiction.

The constitution and regulations governing Mt. Athos prohibit monastic coexistence with heterodox or schismatic groups, resulting in multiple eviction attempts. A notable incident occurred in 2013 when Abbot Methodios and his fellow monks confronted police with Molotov cocktails.

Initially, Abbot Methodios and another monk were sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2017, with six additional monks receiving 10-year and 4-month sentences. However, these sentences were subsequently reduced in both 2019 and 2021 to 17 years and 9 years and 5 months, respectively, and then further to 5.5 years and 2 years and 9 months.

In July 2020, Greek courts demanded that the schismatic community relinquish all properties within and outside Mt. Athos to the New Esphigmenou Brotherhood, established by Patriarch Bartholomew in 2005 and currently residing in the Athonite capital of Karyes. Following this ruling, authorities began the eviction of monks from Esphigmenou's properties.

Now, according to reports from Ekklisia Online and other Greek news sources, police are preparing for another eviction attempt. They have submitted a request to the Holy Epistasia, the governing monastic body of the Holy Mountain that represents 20 ruling monasteries, seeking approval for a comprehensive operation involving substantial police forces and vehicles.

In response, Abbot Methodios and the monks are resolute in their determination to defend their monastery. "We’re ready to defend the monastery to the death; this is our spiritual homeland. Here we were born spiritually, and here we will die," the abbot asserted. He described the police as mere employees carrying out orders and warned against internal conflict: "If the fathers of the monasteries and the police come here to make Greeks fight against Greek monks, they should reconsider. Regardless of the outcome, let them come. Will the monks simply stand by if an officer assaults one of us?"

Ekklisia Online has also published the police's correspondence with the Holy Epistasia regarding the planned operation.

Photo: ekklisiaonline.gr