This is the 20th day of Abba Ephrem’s imprisonment in the worst prison in Greece… Orthodox all over the world have spoken up (including His Holiness)… but there’s nothing on the official OCA and ROCOR websites (if this doesn’t prove to you that Paffhausen’s a spoilt narcissistic navel-gazer, and that Hilarion Kapral’s an “overly-nice” ineffectual placeholder, nothing will). Draw the proper conclusion… keep your money in your wallet… believe NOTHING that issues from the OCA/ROCOR First Families.
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The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece expressed its concern over the arrest of Archimandrite Ephrem, the abbot of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos. The Synod, in commenting on Fr Ephrem’s arrest, said that the state didn’t respect the laws, “which includes the Holy Mountain’s right to self-government”. As they noted, the situation around Igumen Ephrem has damaged the credibility of the Church, and caused “justifiable and profound exasperation” amongst Orthodox Christians in Greece and abroad. The statement of the Synod, as quoted on the website of The Friends of Vatopedi, said, “The Holy Synod expresses its sympathy to [Igumen Ephrem] during his time of trial, at the same time expressing the wish and hope that the authorities will soon consider his release, without anyone jumping to hasty conclusions in the meantime”.
As reported in December 2011, a Greek court ordered Fr Ephrem’s arrest in connection with an investigation of real estate transactions between Vatopedi and the Greek state in 2008. In late December, Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias wrote a letter to Greek President Karolos Papoulias asking for Archimandrite Ephrem’s release from custody, expressing surprise at his pre-trial incarceration as “[Fr Ephrem] doesn’t pose a threat to society and repeatedly expressed his willingness to cooperate with the investigation”. Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk, the head of the MP DECR, described the arrest of Fr Ephrem as an attack on Athonite monasticism in particular and on Orthodoxy in general. Previously, influential Russian politicians, the MP, the RF MID, as well as the Foundation of St Andrew the First-Called voiced support for Igumen Ephrem. This was in recognition of the fact that Abba Ephrem was part of the delegation from Vatopedi Monastery that brought the Belt of the Most Holy Mother of God to Russia for a stay lasting from 20 October to 28 November, going to various cities throughout the country, where nearly 3 million people venerated the relic, including top political leaders.
16 January 2012
Interfax-Religion
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=43781
