Seven monks leave Vatopedi after the visit of OCU delegation
Vatopedi Monastery of Athos
Thus, seven monks of Vatopedi protested against contacts with the new church structure, Interfax reports.
According to the source in the Moscow Patriarchate, this is about monastics from Ukraine, Russia and Moldova. According to journalists, among the ethnic Greeks inhabiting Vatopedi, there are quite a lot of those who frown at the position of the leadership of the monastery and consider the OCU representatives as schismatics.
“In total, today four Athos monasteries — Xenophontos, Pantokrator, New Esphigmenou and Vatopedi — have entered into communion with Ukrainian pseudo-church,” the source concluded.
“In our eyes, one by one, the Athos monasteries get into communion with dissenters and commit the unthinkable betrayal of Orthodox people in Ukraine who are being persecuted, blackmailed, beaten, driven out of their own temples <...> How sophisticated the enemy of the human race is mocking people!”
As reported by the UOJ, the OCU delegation was not allowed to the Holy Panteleimon Monastety on Athos. The abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Eulogy, did not let the representatives of the new Ukrainian Church into the monastery, turned them straight from the monastery gates with the words that they are not recognized there.
Earlier 5 out of 20 monasteries backed the initiative of Constaninople Patriarch Bartholomew to send a delegation to the enthronement of OCU head Epiphany Dumenko. Representatives of the majority of Athos monasteries (15) spoke out against it. Many Athonite hermits claim to stop the commemoration of Patriarch Bartholomew. Other monasteries, including Philotheou and Karakallou, have said they would close their gates if Epiphany Dumenko, the head of the OCU, came the Holy Mount.
Read also
Kosovo to enact law restricting Serbian Church, experts say
Analysts warn that the new "Law on Foreigners" in Kosovo could restrict the presence of clergy, believers' access to shrines, and increase pressure on the Serbian community.
Congress Speaker: Demand to introduce Sharia law in USA is a serious problem
The Speaker of the House of Representatives stated that there is growing concern in society about attempts to impose Islamic law, which is incompatible with the American Constitution.
UK government introduces restrictions on "anti-Muslim hostility"
UK authorities have adopted a new definition of "Islamophobia" which, according to experts, could provide Muslims with special protection and restrict freedom of speech.
Dumenko brings icon in Church Slavonic to Ministry of Health
Epifaniy presented cardiologists with an Intercession icon, with inscriptions in Church Slavonic, which his structure calls a "sign of the Moscow tradition".
ISIS supporters carries out terrorist attack at anti-Islamic protest in NY
Near the home of New York's Muslim mayor, radicals threw two makeshift bombs at protesters during an anti-Islamic rally.
Hryshchuk: If UOC hands over its church itself, angle grinders aren't needed
An OCU chaplain called on UOC believers to accept the loss of the shrine for the sake of their own "enlightenment".