The Orthodox Faith under Persecution! by Dimitris Hatzinikolaou, Associate Professor University of Ioannina, Department of Economics, Ioannina 451 10 Hellas

There are many examples worldwide that prove that these days the Orthodox Faith is under persecution. This article focuses on the Holy Monastery of Esphigmenou (Mount Athos, Hellas), which has been under persecution since 1972, because its monks refuse to have ecclesiastical communion with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, a leading figure in the pan-heresy of Ecumenism, which pursues the unification of Orthodoxy with every other faith, despite the dogmatic differences, thus nullifying the Orthodox Faith. In an effort to promote globalization, which at the religious level requires the abolition of the Orthodox Faith and its replacement with the pan-heresy of Ecumenism, the Hellenic State, the Courts, and the Church officials do not tolerate the true Orthodox Faith any longer. Consequently, the fathers of Esphigmenou, who defend Orthodoxy, “must” be thrown out of the Monastery!

The Holy Scriptures, the Holy Synods, and the Church Fathers unanimously teach clearly that if a patriarch, bishop, or other clergymen teach a heresy publicly, their flock must interrupt communion and wall off themselves from the heretics, even before a Synod condemns the heresy and defrocks the heretical clergymen (see, e.g., the 15^th Canon of the A and B Synod). For if they do not, they fall into the same crime with the heretical clergymen and become “enemies of God.” Therefore, the Esphigmenites do precisely what they have to do, because they want to remain Orthodox Christians. After all, in similar circumstances, all the Saints also walled off themselves from the heretical patriarchs of their time. In addition, note that the Holy Scriptures, the Church Law, and the Holy Tradition are protected by Article 3 of the Hellenic Constitution. Consequently, the persecutors of Esphigmenou and those who side with the heretical “patriarch” violate both the ecclesiastical and the secular law and order. They are hypocrites, since on the one hand they preach “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29), but on the other hand they trample on the Church and the secular Law in order to carry out the “patriarch’s” unconstitutional and unholy orders.    

The persecution against the traditional Esphigmenites was intensified in December 2002, when Mr. Bartholomew declared them “schismatics”! In 2005, after a series of violations of the Mount Athos Constitution, a “new brotherhood of Esphigmenou” was established, to take the place of the traditional one! Since then the true Esphigmenites are officially considered "illegal occupants" of the Monastery, despite the fact that they have been there for three, four, five, six, and some of them even seven decades! The Devil himself would not dare to say such a huge and obvious lie! In order for this unholy and unconstitutional goal to materialize, the pseudo-Esphigmenite “new brotherhood” has implemented many atrocities against the true one, including: (1) attacks on Esphigmenou’s premises in Karyai (the capital of Mt. Athos) with sledgehammers, crowbars, and a bobcat,  which resulted in injuring true Esphigmenites (Nov. 2005, Dec. 2006, and July 2013); (2) confiscation of Esphigmenou’s assets, e.g., a tractor, bank accounts, mail, etc.; (3) appropriation of Esphigmenou’s rental income; (4) prohibition of doctors to go to the Holy Monastery of Esphigmenou and provide their medical services to the needy, which resulted in about 25 deaths due to lack of medical treatment; and (5) the cut of food supplies, telephone, fuel, etc., to the Monastery. These restrictions caused the deadly accident of the true Esphigmenite Tryphon in 2003. Obviously, this is truly a sacrilege of the worse kind done by State and Church officials! It is also a cruel violation of human rights and of religious freedom as well as racism against true Orthodox Christians.

The Church and State officials waste tax-payers’ money and restrict their freedom by making new “anti-racist” laws, selling out State assets “for a song,” travelling around the world, organizing conferences and “synods,” giving speeches, writing articles and books on human rights, religious freedom, etc., but side unjustly and hypocritically with the Ecumenists against the fathers of Esphigmenou! Such a contradictory, unconstitutional, and unholy behavior is "politically correct" nowadays, whereas defending true Orthodoxy is considered to be "fundamentalism" and "fanaticism"! Mr. Bartholomew has been photographed under a large banner bearing the slogan PEACE AND TOLERANCE, but he has no tolerance for true Orthodox Christianity! He preaches "tolerance toward the different" as long as "the different" is not Orthodox Christianity! In his doctoral thesis (1970), he argues that the Holy Canons must be modified so as to allow common prayers with heretics. In other words, since he tramples on the Church Law, it is the Law that must be changed!

After the “extermination” of the true Esphigmenites, the abolition of the “avaton” is to follow, and the Holy Mountain, known as “The Garden of the Virgin Mary,” will become a place for tourism and pleasure! But where are the faithful? Orthodoxy and the Hellenic State are being gradually sold out by their very “leaders,” but the “faithful” close their eyes and ears to this High Treason, thus effectively siding with these devil-worshipers and ignoring the Shepherd’s voice: “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go!” (Mat. 26:45-46.)