What will happen to the Russian Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in Athens?
As is known, yet 17 October 2019 g. Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted a statement on the situation, formed in the Greek Church in connection with the Ukrainian schism. In this statement, in particular, stated: “We stop prayerful and Eucharistic communion with those bishops of the Greek Church, who have entered or will enter into such communication with representatives of Ukrainian non-canonical schismatic communities".
Proposal of the Hierarchs of the Church of Greece “recognize… the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of the independent Ukrainian Republic” (read: recognize Ukrainian schismatic communities) could not but lead to discord. And the turmoil grows.
According to the Greek online newspaper "Russian Athens", in June at the Russian Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in Athens (Russian Orthodox community of this church in 1924 year came under the jurisdiction of the Church of Greece) service was held with Metropolitan Konstantinos of Andrus, who previously served with schismatics from the OCU.
Adherents of the OCU on Athos
Before that, a Russian priest was removed from the post of rector of the temple, protopresbyter Alexander Nosevych, who served in Athens for about a decade and a half, graduate of the Theological Academy in Moscow and the theological faculty of the University of Athens. “The new rector developed a stormy activity, because of which sharp discontent arose in the church community, escalated into open confrontation, - writes the newspaper "Russian Athens". – The ensuing numerous complaints to the Archdiocese of Athens did not lead to visible results… Not the last role in the indignation of the parishioners was played by the unauthorized decision of the new rector to rename the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity on Google maps, Russian, in Sotira Likodimutou» (the old name of the temple before, how in 1855 year it received the name of the Holy Trinity and the status of the Embassy Church).
Russian Church of the Holy Trinity in Athens
It is worth recalling, what in 1847 the building of this church, located in the heart of Athens, bought by the government of the Russian Empire, which repaired it at the expense of the Russian treasury. To 1917 year it had the status of the Embassy Church of Russia.
This happens not only in Athens.. Greek newspaper Ethno published an article, in which she reported, that the Metropolitan of the Phokis region Feoktist stated: "Those Russian clergymen, who do not recognize autocephaly in the Ukrainian Church, will not be accepted in my metropolis". Ethnos asks, how can this happen, if the Archbishop of Athens and All Hellas Jerome continues to mention the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'.
US Ambassador Pyatt Treats Patriarch Bartholomew
Schismatic winds blew even on Mount Athos, whose monasteries are under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. However, there 13 of 20 monasteries refused to recognize the OCU. For Phanar (quarter in Istanbul, where the residence of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is located) stands Washington. US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt, formerly served as ambassador to Ukraine, I have already visited Athos several times.
Inscription on Mount Athos against Bartholomew
Split, sown in Ukraine, distributed by. In November 2019 year, a delegation from the OCU, headed by "Metropolitan of Vinnitsa and Barsky" Simeon and "Metropolitan" Alexander Drabinko, was received in the Phocis Metropolis. At the same time, the Metropolitan of Fokida announced, that because of the position of the Russian Patriarch Kirill Russian clergy and laity, who do not recognize the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, will no longer be accepted within the borders of the Holy Metropolis of Phokis".
10 July the Supreme Court of Greece decided to evict the monks of the monastery of Esfigmen on Mount Athos, who refused to commemorate Patriarch Bartholomew. The Thessaloniki Court sentenced in absentia to 20 years in prison for hegumen Methodius and monk Antipas for resisting an attempt to evict the brethren from the monastery. Now the monks will have to leave the monastery by decision of the Supreme Court.
Monk of Esfigmen Monastery with a flag “orthodoxy or death”
The Greek Church is the only one in the Orthodox world, which is the state, but the relationship of church and state remains unstable. Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, taking office, refused to swear on the bible; Greek parliament under Tsipras, despite the protests of the Orthodox, legalized same-sex marriage. The government of the New Democracy party that replaced the Tsipras government seems to be more tolerant towards the Greek Orthodox Church. Last year, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis assured Archbishop Jerome of Athens and All Hellas that, that the government will not promote a plan to withdraw priests from the category of civil servants, what Tsipras insisted on.
Pilgrims from Russia are also still ready to receive on Mount Athos, Where 1 June quarantine restrictions were lifted. However, the story of the Russian Church of the Holy Trinity in Athens is a wake-up call..
The title photo: Police Detain Rebellious Monks of Esfigmen Monastery
Vladimir Malyshev
