Monk's arrest in Greece exposes contest for world's Orthodox leadership

Catholic World News
January 10, 2012

The head of a famous Orthodox monastery in Greece has been arrested, in a complex case that reflects a contest for power between the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Patriarchate of Moscow.

Abbot Hegumen Ephraim of the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos faces charges in connection with the sale of land. The arrest is surprising because the Greek government has traditionally avoided any interference with the affairs of the monks at the monasteries of Mount Athos.

Mount Athos is under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. But Abbot Ephraim has close ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, and his arrest came immediately after he returned from a trip to Moscow. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has asked the Greek government to release the aged monk; Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople has been silent.

Additional sources for this story: Abbot of Mount Athos arrested. War of influence between Moscow and the Ecumenical Patriarchate (AsiaNews) http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Abbot-of-...hate-23649.html

This is not new news, not in general or to the forum. Leave it to CWN to be behind the curve with news of the East. One of our moderators, Alice, posted about this quite a few days ago.

Who will win in a battle of the Patriarchates? No one, I am afraid. There will only be losers.

With no disrespect meant, it is not the first time the EP shows paranoid tendencies in Greek ecclesiastical matters worldwide over the past decade and a half. I wish he didn't. I don't like saying this about him, because I respect him and know that he is under persecution in Turkey...but paranoia is not a good thing...infact it is a spiritual amartia. That is why I love the Monastic Elders and Monks...they will fast and pray if they feel something is amock rather than resort to worldly power plays and actions.

The good news is that someone on another forum said he heard that the holy Elder has been a blessing to the Korydalos prison (think Rykers) in Athens in that guards and prisoners have been seeking him out for holy confession.

Alice