Igumen Ephrem (1955- ) of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos… the image is from Abba Ephrem’s recent trip to Russia, that’s Vladimir Yakunin (1948- ) in the rear
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On Thursday, the Holy Synod of the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece called for the release of Igumen Ephrem, the abbot of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, who’s currently under arrest on real estate fraud charges. It stated, “Our church respects the rulings of the judicial system and doesn’t like to interfere in its sphere of responsibility. Nevertheless, together with many believers, [the Church] expresses the sympathy of all its members to the embattled abbot, and hopes that they’ll reconsider the possibility of his release from custody”. The Cypriot-born 56-year-old Igumen Ephrem faces charges of involvement in a criminal scheme under which the Greek government swapped cheap farmland for costly Athens real estate, to the favour of the Vatopedi Monastery. He said he isn’t guilty. The First Hierarch of the Church of Greece, Archbishop Ieronymos Liapis of Athens and all Greece plans to visit Igumen Ephrem in prison.
On 29 December, the first Hierarch of the MP, Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias, urged Greek President Karolos Papoulias to release Igumen Ephrem, who was arrested on 24 December {The cops went to Athos to arrest him on 24 December, he was deemed unfit to travel. Igumen Ephrem turned himself in to the coppers on Tuesday 27 December: editor}. In November, Ephrem led a delegation from Vatopedi Monastery that brought one of the holiest Christian relics, the Belt of the Most Holy Mother of God, to Russia for the first time in history. Abbot Ephrem’s arrest sparked a diplomatic row between Moscow and Athens.
The Church of Greece is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches in the Orthodox Christianity. Mount Athos is under the jurisdiction of another autocephalous church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The EP denounced the MP’s “interference” in the case. A number of Greek legal experts have questioned whether the actions of the police on Mount Athos were legal. Athos is part of Greek territory, but it’s autonomous and self-governing. Its monks are Greek citizens, but a special warrant issued by the procurator is required to arrest a person on Athos.
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Today, Thursday 12 January 2012, the Standing Holy Synod (SHS) of the Church of Greece came together for its third Session for the month of January under the presidency of His Beatitude Ieronymos Liapis, Archbishop of Athens and all Greece. During the course of the Session, the SHS confirmed the Proceedings of the previous Session. The SHS concerned itself with the detention of Archimandrite Ephrem, Abbot of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, especially with regard to the time of its announcement and execution during the days of a great Christian Feast, and with regard to the violation of sacred institutions and the non-observance of the statutes of the autonomous administration of the Holy Mount.
These facts have crucially harmed the authority of our Church and have justifiably caused sorrow to the Orthodox Christian flock both in Greece and abroad and, at the same time, provoked considerable perplexity, along with harsh criticism, from noted legal specialists. Our church respects the rulings of the judicial system and doesn’t like to interfere in its sphere of responsibility, even though at different times there have been disagreements over the soundness of this-or-that decision. Nevertheless, together with many believers, [the Church] expresses the sympathy of all its members to the embattled abbot, and hopes that they’ll reconsider the possibility of his release from custody in a more impartial manner. In this spirit, His Beatitude the Archbishop will visit [Igumen Ephrem] at the prison of Korydallos.
(Last four paragraphs deal with other matters)
From the Standing Holy Synod
12 January 2012
RIA-Novosti
http://en.rian.ru/Religion/20120112/170728226.html
http://www.ecclesia.gr/greek/holysynod/holysynod.asp?id=1365&what_sub=d_typou
Editor’s Note:
“The Cheese stands alone”… the EP stands isolated by its lickspittle subservience to Langley. Even though the Church of Greece is dependent on Greek state funds to pay its clergy, it refused to cut Igumen Ephrem adrift. This means that any chance of a Great all-Orthodox Council has dissipated into thin air. There never was much substance to such talk. Then, when the Greek government cut its funding for Chambésy, it not only virtually shut down that EP facility, it cut the throat of any notional “Council”.
If you hear any nonsense from SVS, konvertsy punks, or OCA fanatics about an upcoming “Great Council”, you should openly laugh in their faces and hold them up to public scorn. It ain’t happening, kids… there’s no gelt to put it on, there’s been no planning of the details, there’s no venue, and Bart’s pissed off the entire Orthodox world by his nasty kicking of an Athonite elder at the Americans’ insistence. In short, it’s not going to happen any time soon (or any time later).
BMD
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