What do they say on Athos about the schism and schismatics? The split on Athos is the softest thing that can be.

The schism of universal Orthodoxy, perpetrated by the Phanar freemason-ecumenist Bartholomew, in the very near future may backfire on him. The day before, the Holy Kinot of the Holy Mount Athos made an important decision, which did not have time to become an official statement, but was already replicated by a number of channels of the Telegram messenger and the liberal resource znak.com. We are talking about the design of the monasteries of Athos de jure autonomy from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Thus, the issue of visiting Athos shrines, prayerful and Eucharistic communion between Russian Orthodox and Athosites is automatically removed from the agenda. Moreover, the anti-ecumenical forces of the local zealot monks, who have long been in favor of breaking off relations with the Phanar and have suffered many hardships for their position, can celebrate victory.

For this reason, the Orthodox churches and monasteries of Athos are Athos, and not the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the clergy are Athos, and not the clergy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Any contrary statement is a manifestation of ignorance and ignorance in the field of canonical ecclesiastical law and the special ecclesiastical status of Athos autonomy and is anti-canonical,” sources close to Athos quote St. Kinot’s statements.

It may seem to some that the abbots of the Athos monasteries simply voiced obvious facts, but this is far from the case. On all official Orthodox resources (including Russian ones), the Holy Mountain has so far been named among the dioceses of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Despite almost complete administrative independence from the Throne of Constantinople, the patriarchal authority on Mount Athos is represented by a vicar bishop, currently Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Rodopol, and the name of Bartholomew, accordingly, is commemorated by the first rank at all divine services.

Until recently, the influence of the Phanar on Athos was very great, although many elders and Keliot monks openly called Bartholomew a "false patriarch", and the elders of one of the most revered monasteries, Esfigmene, even anathematized Bartholomew for his ecumenism, friendship with the Pope and canonical errors. Last year, more than 50 monks (including the authoritative elder Gabriel of Kareia) in an open letter to St. Kinot and the abbots of the Athos monasteries called the past Cretan Council in 2016, organized by Bartholomew, "robber" and "anti-Orthodox." In their statement, they noted that the Council officially legitimizes the heresy of ecumenism and called for an end to the commemoration of the Ecumenical Patriarch. Then the open letter was signed by the inhabitants of the Great Lavra, the monasteries of Vatoped, Hilandar, Pantokrator, Kutlumush, Stavronikita, Philotheus, as well as monks and elders from the settlements of Kareya, Kapsala and various sketes. Kinot did not dare to openly support those who stood in the truth, and the angry Bartholomew in response demanded that his detractors be immediately evicted from Athos. Then, reports began to appear in the Orthodox media that Zealot monks, under various pretexts, were surviving from the island, and individual hermits were simply left homeless, ruining the cells in their absence.

As we see, due to the insane Constantinople’s invasion of Ukraine a la “Eastern Pope”, Bartholomew revealed his true identity and began to lose ground even in his fiefdoms. Representatives of the most ancient Local Orthodox Churches and prominent theologians have already condemned his actions, and now the Athonites are disowning him.

Another important reason for choosing Athos is financial. According to various social media reports, since 2005, Russian businessmen-philanthropists have donated about $200 million for the restoration and maintenance of various Athos monasteries. That is, the Russian political and financial elite, from among those who consider themselves Orthodox, of course, have helped Athos much more than Phanar in recent years, and St. Kinot is not going to lose such support.

But the problems of the faithful executor of the will of the CIA, Bartholomew, are not limited to Athos alone. In “native” Turkey, of which he is a civil servant and where, in fact, the “Constantinople” community, numbering several tens of thousands of people at most, is located, the local non-canonical Turkish Orthodox Church filed an application against the Patriarch of Constantinople to the local prosecutor’s office, considering his “autocephalous activity” in Ukraine by deliberately fomenting conflict between Russia and its closest neighbour. If the President of Turkey really wants to keep Putin's favor, there is every reason that the Turkish prosecutor's office will follow up on this statement --- and soon Bartholomew may be asked from Istanbul

This is all good, of course. But what is bad about this whole story with the Phanar is that the ROC did not dare to present claims to the Phanar for distorting the dogma, straying into ecumenism, approving the bigamy of the clergy and many other heresies.

The far-sighted monks of Athos have long seen in the obedient ally of the Vatican and the State Department Bartholomew the destroyer of Orthodoxy, it is time for our hierarchy to break with their ecumenical past and with common efforts to expose the heretic. Including in order not to fall under the same anathemas as Bartholomew (and such conversations, but in relation to Patr. Cyril, go on Athos)

As for the decision of St. Kinod, the Moscow Patriarchate needs to promptly support it and recognize as irrelevant the recent statement by the press secretary of Patriarch Kirill that “parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church will not be able to pray and take communion in churches on Mount Athos, which is the canonical territory of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.” As you can see, the cathedral of 20 Svyatogorsk monasteries has a different opinion regarding its management.

And we must prepare to overcome another barrier - the secular authorities of Greece, who completely submitted to the western vassal. As we have already said, in the last year, Russian bishops and ordinary priests, who had previously visited the Holy Mountain without any problems, began to receive visa refusals from the Greek consul en masse. Two years ago, one of the curators of the Euromaidan in Kiev, Geoffrey Pyatt, was appointed US Ambassador to Greece, who first visited Athos “with an inspection”, after which the local authorities launched violent anti-Russian activities. With a high degree of probability, official Athens in the escalating conflict will take the side of Bartholomew - they are united by a common curator. So let us wish our hierarchies steadfastness and consistency in decision-making.

The State Duma of Russia condemned Kyiv for its desire to create its own autocephalous, and therefore independent from Moscow, church. Meanwhile, the split in Orthodoxy was felt all over the world. Our correspondents Igor Kulei and Denis Dziuba went to Mount Athos in Greece to see with their own eyes how the prohibitions of the Russian Orthodox Church affected the attendance of world-class shrines.

Athos is not just a holy land for Orthodox believers from all over the world. These are also two dozen monasteries that have been living in seclusion and according to their own rules for more than a thousand years. For an Orthodox believer, visiting this place is comparable to a pilgrimage to Mecca for a Muslim.

Every trip to Athos starts very early. It is now 5:20 am local time. The Holy Land is a separate state. Therefore, in order to get here, you must first obtain a visa.

Every day from half past six in the morning - when the permit center opens - hundreds of men come here for a visa. Women are strictly forbidden to enter Athos.

Everyone has their own reason for coming to the holy land.

Athos for every Orthodox is the center of Orthodoxy. I believe that it is even the center of the spiritual life of the entire planet. The soul of every Orthodox strives here,” says an Orthodox priest from Russia

Athos is part of our cultural heritage. One of our saints built a monastery there. This is part of our history,” says a pilgrim from Serbia.

“This is a treasure trove of great spiritual experience, people, monks who have renounced life. All this helps a person to carry his life's cross,” notes a pilgrim from Minsk.

“I was confirmed in my faith when I was 18 thanks to an Orthodox saint. And even though I am a Catholic, from that moment my dream was to get to Athos,” says a Catholic monk from Belgium.

There is no land border of Athos. The only way to get to the Holy Land is by sea through the small town of Ouranoupolis, which has become the Athos Gate for a quarter of a million pilgrims annually. It is here that the “visa center” mentioned above is located, and 99 out of 100 visitors to Athos sail from the local pier.

Representatives of local businesses have adapted to the needs of pilgrims and speak most languages ​​of Orthodox countries.

“There are quite a lot of pilgrims from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova. Therefore, the Russian language helps a lot. Knowledge of the language guarantees work all year round,” says waiter Grigory.

“I speak Russian because there are a lot of tourists here. Please come in here, we have seafood, squid, octopus, fresh red mullet, beautiful girl,” says Petros, the restaurant manager, laughing.

The split between the Moscow and Constantinople Patriarchates is a distant and exaggerated topic for local entrepreneurs, at least for now. Although most of the believers we met here assured that they would continue to visit Athos, despite the recommendations of the Moscow Patriarchate not to do this, the flow of visitors could still be reduced. First of all, at the expense of priests, whom Moscow can control, and especially devout believers.

“We were there and planned to stay longer, but we left. We plan to adhere to the ban of the Russian Orthodox Church, since our mother Church does not accept this,” says a pilgrim from Austria.

If there are more such pilgrims, this could become a significant problem for the settlement, which, thanks to tourism, has turned from a small village into a bustling town over the past 50 years.

“70% of tourists are those who go to Athos. Most of them, of course, are Russian-speaking. Only a third are tourists who come here to relax. But the financial crisis that prevails in Greece forced us to look for an alternative. Many local residents have their own vineyards, olive plantations and apiaries. The sale of fish and seafood brings a significant profit,” says Stata Adamopoulou, president of the Ouranoupoli Cultural Society.

After all, Ouranoupolis has additional protection from all the troubles associated with the ecclesiastical conflict between Moscow and Constantinople, which is provided by heavenly landscapes, crystal clear seas, fabulous weather, as well as tourists from France and Germany who are willing to pay for it.

Igor Kulei, Denis Dziuba, from Greece especially for Belsat

Photo on the intro to the video by Viktor Drachev/TASS/Forum

By the grace of God, I had the opportunity to communicate on Athos with the Ascetic Monks of Athos on several occasions. Wise, simple words and reflections taught them a lot.

All of them come down to the main and saving for each of us: no matter what happens, no matter what situation arises in the country, the Church, in your personal life - you are responsible for yourself, for your thoughts, intentions, actions in front of yourself, people around you and God .

It is to responsibility and conscious living that the elders call, they remind us that this forms our future.

We can dream about something, wish for something, but we cannot define it. The Lord God decides. But we are able to improve or worsen the situation with our deeds and thoughts, as well as change our attitude to what is happening, under no circumstances losing peace of mind.

War

Of course, a frequently asked question on Mount Athos: when will the war in Ukraine and the church confrontation end? Almost every pilgrim from our country asks about this, looking for words of consolation from the monks of Athos.

But none of those elders whose words I heard gave precise and clear answers about the terms and dates, because no one knows this and they depend on the spiritual life of everyone, the personal repentance of all of us - priests, laity.

The elders point out the lawlessness that is happening in the world, they talk about the main war - the war in our souls. And the victory of evil.

The victory of evil leads to dehumanization and a cycle of betrayals: God, the Church, oneself, each other, family, traditions, spiritual and moral values.

Turning away from God, we disfigure our souls and the souls of our children, stop cultivating the human, the best, the beautiful, go the “easy” path of betrayal and deceit, while inevitably slipping and shrinking in the spiritual and moral sense.

It is more and more difficult for us to keep from sin, and we, due to our weakness, legitimize it, elevate it to the norm. What was condemned only yesterday is welcomed and encouraged today.

This applies to both personal sins and church-wide ones.

Schism has always been the worst sin. Today, it is presented as the norm, and schismatics - enemies of the Church - are given the green light and all kinds of support are provided.

People do not understand that being carried away by the teachings of schismatics doom themselves to the risk of remaining outside the Church, behind Her fence. And what could be worse for the soul?

Many, unfortunately, do not understand that schismatics will never have the blessing and grace of God, and yet the true Church with Her Sacraments exists precisely to be the guardian and bearer of God's grace.

Moving away from the truth, we get used to sin, we become related to it.

On Athos, they constantly remind us of this and point out our problems, which we no longer see with a blurred look and soul.

“Look,” the abbot of one of the Athos monasteries said, “today paganism, all kinds of sects, the flourishing of the heresy of ethnophyletism are actively spreading everywhere in Ukraine ... headed by its Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry… This means that Ukrainians choose not salvation, but death, surrender to the power of their sins, passions, weaknesses…”

The monks on the Holy Mountain pray for Ukraine at every divine service.

Be afraid!

We are very afraid for ourselves. Too. But this fear is from cowardice. We are afraid of hurting ourselves in some way, denying ourselves, depriving ourselves of something, not receiving something, we are afraid of being underestimated. Selfishness and greed lead to the fact that we allow ourselves to our loved ones what we do not allow others, what is forbidden by moral laws and conscience: to lie a little, steal a little, slander a little, take revenge, etc.

From here originates the tolerance of sin and a condescending attitude towards it, which leads to its further legitimization. We get used to sin and accept it as the norm.

Fear for yourself out of false self-pity is the beginning of trouble. You only need to fear God.

You can hear about the fear of God on Athos from any inhabitant. Monks organize their lives out of the fear of God. This is their barometer.

Only the fear of God leads to spiritual life. Complete obedience to Christ will make any coward bold and courageous.

Only having absolute trust in God can you win in any war. It is not always expressed in the expected way in human understanding, but will always be saving in the spiritual sense.

“There is no need to be afraid of evil people, their actions are inevitably doomed to destruction, and their heads will be sprinkled with ashes,” say the Athonite elders. “It's just a matter of time. They only come from their powers, which are very limited."

And God's majesty and power are infinite and omnipotent. And the "question of time" depends entirely on God's will, patience and His plan for the future drawing, both on a global scale and for each of us.

Athos elder Paisios Svyatogorets once said:

“A person close to God draws strength from Him, and besides, truth is on his side. Look, the wolf runs away when he hears the barking of a small dog, because in the house of her master justice is on her side, and he feels guilty about himself. How much more will a person who wants to harm someone who is close to Christ be afraid! Therefore, it is necessary to fear only God, but not people, no matter how bad they may be.

To the extent that we draw closer to God, to that extent we cease to be afraid of anything, because in difficult situations we rely on God's help. But in order to receive Divine power, it is necessary to accomplish that small feat that we can do.”

Only the love of God fills hearts with courage and joy.

Before His love, all hardships, troubles, difficulties, and mistakes fade. Through His love, our path is rightly laid out on the map of life.

And just as after the evening dawn the morning dawn will inevitably rise, in all its clarity and purity, so after all trials there will come comforting calm, brought by God's care and care for us.

For this it is worth working hard: to work on oneself, to overcome and overcome sin in oneself, even the smallest one, thus increasing goodness and multiplying beauty in this world in order to bring the long-awaited dawn closer, bringing us everything that fills life with meaning and joy.

Let us give into God's hands the fruits and accomplishments of our lives, let us give our hearts.

And our greatest reward is in the knowledge that His hands will carefully carry us to happy times and eternal life.

Metropolitan of Boryspil and Brovarsky Anthony (Pakanich) / Recorded by Natalia Goroshkova

Today, thousands of pilgrims and tourists from Russia flock to geographical, historical and spiritual artifacts located in various parts of Europe and Asia. Enticed by numerous stories, sometimes bordering on outright fables, the Russians forget about the actual Russian shrines. One of these pious myths of our day is the special role Mount Athos- a kind of monastic republic, thanks to which "intact Eastern Orthodoxy" is kept, and the world is preserved from the final fall into sin. Like it or not, we are told by one of the monks who lived on Athos for more than 7 years.

Good health. In recent years, information about the state of affairs in the Greek Church has to be drawn from conflicting sources, which are not always distinguished by accuracy and conscientiousness. What is the current Greek church really like?

The current Greek "Orthodoxy" no longer represents a single confession or Church, but is divided into several directions. The most influential in modern Greece are the so-called news calendars And Old Calendarists. Newsmen are a single religious group. They are subordinate to the synod of the Greek Church and, accordingly, to the Athenian archbishop, and are commemorated as the primate of the universal church ( Constantinople - approx. editions) Patriarch. New Calendarists are in Eucharistic communion with other local churches and patriarchates, and are members of the ecumenical World Council of Churches.

The second part of Greek Orthodoxy is presented Old Calendarists, which, unfortunately, does not represent a single whole. Today there are four main synods of the Old Calendar churches that do not have Eucharistic communion with each other. The division between the Old Calendar churches has various reasons. Sometimes this is due to some innovations introduced by the old calendar synods, sometimes to questions of a canonical nature or conflicts. In my opinion, the division in the old calendar churches is due to the personal ambitions of the bishops. They have every opportunity to unite, but do not attach due desire to this. In recent years, the reverse process has been increasingly observed.

New Calendarists, having a quantitative advantage, being more indifferent to religious particulars, gradually absorb the weak parts of the old calendar denominations. As for the quantitative ratio of New Calendarists and Old Calendarists, then, of course, the number of those visiting New Calendar churches is several times greater. However, the number of bishops in New Calendar and Old Calendar synods is approximately equal.

It is interesting that Greek Catholics practically do not influence the church life of modern Greece. There are very few of them now. The reason for this is that the New Calendarists actually took the place of the once widespread Uniates. Today, new-time churches are more and more similar to Greek Catholic ones. So, in many Greek churches today, not stasidia (special benches around the perimeter of the church) are installed, but chairs, as in Catholic churches or concert halls. In addition, the Greek archpastors have long served with Catholic Bishops. This is no secret to anyone. The Ecumenical Patriarch has repeatedly concelebrated with the Pope, and this does not surprise anyone. Therefore, there is no point in the existence of Uniates of Greek Catholics anymore.

The modern principle of Catholic ecumenism has a slightly different basis than the Uniate movements of the past. The main thing that is required is to recognize the supreme spiritual authority, or at least be part of an organization, and the name of the church, in particular its religion, do not matter.

What can be said about the general church, popular piety in modern Greece?

Folk-church piety in Greece is slowly but surely leveling out, dissolving into the pan-European culture. This is partly due to the large number of visitors. In the 80s, many Albanians came to Greece. This was done under the guise of helping poor residents of a neighboring country. With the advent of the European Union, representatives of Pakistan and African countries are coming to Greece. The cultural identity of the Greeks began to be lost after the country's entry into NATO, an even greater blow was dealt by Greece's entry into the European Union. In the future, the adoption of the European constitution. Apparently, the old Greek constitution, based largely on the canons of ecclesiastical law, will be abolished. This can finally undermine the traditions of popular piety. Today, for example, after the birth of a child, his baptism should take place. Based on the baptismal document, a birth certificate is issued. The situation is the same with the sacrament of marriage. The church document about the wedding is carried to the municipality. The fact of marriage is registered there.

As for the direct authority of the clergy and church institutions in Greece, it is not high in the new church. In recent years, numerous cases of abuse and outright crimes in the church environment have been widely covered in the media. Individual representatives of the episcopate were accused of drug trafficking, the slave trade. The society was horrified when it learned the facts of the organization of detention centers and slave trade in monasteries belonging to the Greek New Church. From there, live goods were sold throughout the Mediterranean.

Of course, the spread of sin is also influenced by the so-called pan-European values ​​that justify a variety of vices. A priest from the pulpit can say one thing about sin, but a teacher at school can say something completely different.

Are there liturgical differences between Old Calendar and New Calendar churches?

If we talk about liturgical books and the main sacred rites, then there are no differences. Significant differences are found in the very approach to the performance of the sacraments, for example, in preparation for the Eucharist, for baptism, in the performance of the sacrament of repentance and penance. Many things are simplified among the New Calendarists, the essential requirements for preparing for the celebration of the Liturgy are not fulfilled. And, of course, the main dogmatic difference is the participation of representatives of other faiths in the service. A Catholic bishop can safely come to a new church, celebrate the liturgy in the altar, and then take communion with the rest of the clergy.

They say that smoking is widespread among the Greek clergy, is that so?

It is difficult to say how widespread smoking is among the Greek clergy. However, this fact is known and not hidden by anyone. On the street or in a cafe you can meet a priest with a cigarette. There is no penalty for this and no penance is imposed.

In Russia, the impression was that Athos- it is almost a fabulous island inhabited by the righteous. That the Orthodox ecumene, and even the whole world, is supported by the charitable labors of its prayer books, hermits and recluses. Tourist and pilgrimage trips to Athos are gaining more and more popularity. Today, almost anyone can visit the famous Athos monasteries, chat with a hermit, live in a hermit's cave. What is modern Athos really like?

As one good friend of mine put it:

“Modern Athos is a terrible spiritual locomotive that pulls down not only Greece, but also neighboring countries with the confession of Eastern Orthodoxy: Serbia, Bulgaria and even Russia.”

According to a long tradition, the believers of these countries had boundless trust in the religious authority of Athos. When disputes or misunderstandings arose, did you often wait for what Athos would say?

Today the ancient authority of Athos plays a fatal role. People come to Athos. To the outside viewer, everything looks great. Throughout Athos, the old style. For a religiously illiterate person, this is the main criterion. Athos monasteries have very long services, including night ones, for 8-12 hours. The liturgical and everyday monastic charters are strictly observed. It makes a big impression on visitors. Especially for guests from Russia and other countries, where distorted and shortened service has long become commonplace.

But these external impressions are wrong. The overwhelming majority of the current Athos monasteries recognizes both the old and the new calendar styles as equal. Here, for example, began the Christmas post. On Athos, it starts according to the old style - two weeks later than in the rest of Europe. Christmas has come according to the new style. If an Athos monk or hieromonk travels to mainland Greece during this period, then he calmly, with the permission of his abbot, goes to the new church and serves Christmas services there. Although there are still two weeks of fasting ahead of Athos. The new calendar festivities are coming to an end, the monk returns to Athos, fasts the remaining time and celebrates the Old Calendar Christmas: he breaks his fast a second time, celebrates a second time. All this is called church "economy", indulgence, forgiveness of the canons for the sake of the unity of the church world and love. But in fact, this is not economy, but "paranomy" - a gross violation of church rules and traditions.

All Athos monasteries, except for the monastery of Esfigmene, commemorate in their prayers the ecumenical patriarch, who has long been in prayerful and Eucharistic communion with the pope. For this reason, the brethren of the monastery of Esfigmenou do not have communion with the rest of the monasteries of Athos and do not participate in the work of Kinot, the church council of the monasteries of Athos, a kind of government of the island.

In my opinion, the traditions of Athos are kept solely at the expense of this monastery. The other monasteries of Athos, without changing the calendar style and outward worship, are ready to recognize any spiritual authority. This is partly due to the financial flows that have poured onto the island for some time now. The tourism business is also not interested in preserving the authentic Athos traditions of monastic solitude.

In recent years, the official Athos authorities have made several attempts to expel the monks from the monastery of Esfigmenu with the help of a siege and police. In 2006, a dummy monastic community was created. It was registered and solemnly recognized by the Athos Kinot as the official community of the Esfigmenu Monastery. This was necessary in order to make various kinds of decisions in which all the monasteries of the island should participate. The current abbot of the monastery has not taken any part in the affairs of Athos for many years. And what kind of dialogue is possible with heretics? Only monologue.

Not only Esfigmen, but also some hermits of the island, living in cells, stopped commemorating the ecumenical patriarch and interrupted communication with the official monasteries of Athos. There are also such inhabitants of the island who, having become like the Russian bezpopovtsy, believe that the true priesthood no longer exists, the entire hierarchy has fallen into heresy. Of course, visitors to the island from around the world are not aware of this situation and for them the monasteries of Athos are a kind of religious monolith, an oasis of orthodoxy. But this one is far from it.

Today, the monasteries of Athos are actively involved in the development of transnational financial resources. In recent years, not only Greece has allocated funds for the restoration of Athos, but also the European Union, and even the Vatican. Some allocated amounts disappear without a trace. For example, large funds were allocated to Esfigmen for the restoration of the monastery, which the monastery did not accept, and the money, nevertheless, disappeared. Many church leaders of Athos are accused of financial and land fraud. All monasteries have built multi-star hotels, equipped with VIP rooms, elevators to three or four floors, and much more.

In my opinion, the gradual apostasy of the Greek Church is associated with strong Western influence, which for centuries, starting from the 12th century, had a pernicious influence on all aspects of spiritual and church-administrative life. It was a systematic destruction of Orthodoxy. Tasks were set, the time for solving which was not limited to the life of one or two generations. They were designed to last.

If you believe the prophecies, then with the final acceptance of the heresy, Athos will perish, and the mountain itself will go under water. According to the testament of the Mother of God, the end of Athos will be felt by everyone who will do the will of the Son of God. Apparently, one should not expect other special signs, for example, the disappearance of the Iberian icon, etc. One might think that as long as the icon is in place, nothing threatens orthodoxy. “Whoever does the will of My Son will understand this in any place of Athos,” and then you will have to pack your things and leave from there, because the end of grief has come. And there is more than enough indirect evidence of the decline of Athos.

What can be said about monastic life on modern Athos?

In Russia, many monastic traditions and monastic succession have been lost. The old traditions were destroyed along with the generation of monks during the years of Bolshevik persecution. Modern Russian monasticism, regardless of confessional submission, is young. Monasteries are more like either tourist centers or collective farms. And on Mount Athos, I had to be surrounded by elders who labored in monasticism for 30-40 years. A monk with an experience of 7-10 years in such an environment is considered young. In other places it is difficult to meet people with such length of service and experience of monastic life, almost impossible. Such a term of life of a monk implies a great experience. When you are in the company of such elders, it inspires. But the current Athos elders, who have lived on the island for decades, say: “We came to shards, and you have nothing left ...”

Communicating with elderly monks, it is interesting to find out how the island lived 20-30 years ago. They came to Athos when there was no ship going there, when there was not a single shop, not a single car. If he agreed with some fisherman, he could take him to the island, drop him off somewhere, and from there he had to go himself, look for shelter. Now Athos is two tourist ships, taxis around the entire perimeter.

For the convenience of tourists, there are buses that go to the pass. Minibuses go from the pass around the island, they deliver them to the monasteries. Even in recent years, dramatic changes have taken place on the island. I lived on Athos for seven years and saw how everything changes. I had to live on Karula, this is a hermit place. At the foot of the mountain, only the Kelliots live. There are no big settlements there. Two or three people live. In 2000, local hermits had no idea about a mobile phone, a solar battery, and, even more so, the Internet.

And when I left Athos, there were three Internet accesses only on Karula. When the first hermit turned on his mobile phone, he hid it, ashamed of being laughed at. And now everyone has everything. Of course, this is a sign of a clear decline. If earlier a hermit, in order to bring something to his cell, had to go through the mountains, carry heavy luggage, today everything can be ordered by phone: food, candles, incense, ingredients for making it. Everything is brought by ship, all that remains is to pay. Of course, those who are zealous for a pious life have to leave the island.

We lived on Karula, and the last Serb lives there, a tonsured elder of the early 20th century. He is actually the last to have the continuity of the old generations of monks. It’s easier for us young people - we took off and left, and he, who has lived on the island for about 40 years, has nowhere to go. I think that it is also because of such last remnants of the Athos tradition that the island is preserved, by the grace of God. They will die and it will all be over for them. And young monks will have to make a choice: either stay in this impious atmosphere, live as an exhibit in the tourist center, or seek another refuge.

This sad scenario was tested in the monasteries of Meteor. It was impossible to get there otherwise than with the help of a special lift, which was lowered by the monks. But they got there too. They built a road. Now there is not a single full-fledged monastery. Rather, the monasteries, as monuments, remained, and most of the monks left in the 70s of the XX century. Many monks moved to Athos. And now it's Athos' turn...

The emergence of old-style church associations in Greece is associated with the split of the Church of Hellas, which occurred as a result of the rejection by part of the clergy and laity of the introduction of the new Gregorian calendar in Greece (March 10, 1924). The initiators of the movement for the preservation of worship according to the old calendar (old style) in 1925 were the laity, who created the association "Orthodox Association" (Secretary of the Board of Directors Pericles Geturis). They were supported by the monks of Athos, and then by a number of prominent representatives of the clergy. In 1926 the association was transformed into the Greek Religious Society of True Orthodox Christians. The number of parishes of this association reached 800. In May 1935, three bishops left the official Greek Orthodox Church and formed the Synod of the True Orthodox Church of Greece with four newly ordained hierarchs (the Chairman of the Synod from May 25, 1935 to June 30, 1937 was Metropolitan Herman of Dimitriad). At the end of the 1930s, a split into two branches occurred in the Old Calendar Church. Later, several more divisions occurred among the Old Calendarists. Since the 1970s, the old calendar churches have been negotiating to unite, but so far there has been no success in this process.

The unity of the Church is being torn apart by rats,
They torment her soul, gnaw at her flesh.
Mercenaries seek compromises
God the Lord surrenders in silence.

He who with apostasy seeks peace
loses the Orthodox purity of the Faith
with the loss of purity, strength goes away.
without power Christ does not need salt.

The temptation of Athos is the spirit of apostasy.
The abbess is in pain.
The prophet heard the cry of Jeremiah.
Athos salt is losing its power.

Monk Michael

After the end of the False Council of Crete, five people from the brethren of the Serbian monastery of Mount Athos, Hilandar, turned to the abbot of the monastery, Archim. Methodius and openly and firmly voiced their position: At the False Council of Crete, ecumenism was “accepted” as the teaching of the Orthodox Church, in connection with this we will not be able to come to services and take communion where the heresiarch Bartholomew is commemorated, who planted this heresy.

The viceroy did not immediately answer, but said that their question would be considered at the monastery cathedral, which he appointed for July 5th. On Tuesday, July 5, 2016, the monks Damian, Luka, Onufry, Nikolai and the novice Daniel were summoned to the monastery cathedral. They were asked if they remained unconvinced. They answered firmly: Yes. Then the Viceroy Archim. Methodius said that their position was clear and there was no need to explain anything.

The viceroy gave the floor to the cathedral elder (cathedral elder means a member of the monastery cathedral), a Croat priest. Seraphim, who began to outline what punishments would follow their chosen path: before Sunday, July 10, they must leave the Hilandar monastery; they are forbidden to settle in any cell in Hilandar land or in Caries (Karyes or Carey - the capital of the Holy Mountain); they will be deprived of their Greek citizenship and their Greek documents will be confiscated (every foreigner who takes monastic vows on the Holy Mountain, according to the laws of the Holy Mountain, receives Greek documents and citizenship); their names will be removed from the monastic (a book in which the monks who took tonsure on the Holy Mountain are entered) and they will be considered rasstrigi, laity.

The brethren told him that they had made monastic vows to God and the Mother of God and remained monks. Croatian about. Seraphim began to reproach them that they did not have the necessary understanding of what was happening: “Pope Francis is the best dad. In comparison with those who were before him, he rejects the primacy of the infallibility of the pope, he will repent, and Catholics and Orthodox will be together.. The Serb brethren did not tolerate the Latin wisdom of Fr. Seraphim and to his face they called him a Jesuit who betrays Christ.

They told him that the "Pope of Rome" was dearer to him than his brethren in Christ, with whom he labored in the same monastery. At the monastery council, none of the other members of the council stood up for the Confessors. Taking water in their mouths, everyone agreed with the lawless judgment and decisions against the monks who rebelled against heresy for the Orthodox Faith.

Hilandar brethren - mon. Damian, Mon. Onufry, post. Daniel and Mon. Luke, by the grace of God, and the Queen of Heaven are now being persecuted by false brothers for confessing the Orthodox Faith. Monk Nicholas remained in the monastery.

For you, dear brothers and sisters, readers of the Third Rome, what you are now reading and will read further will seem incredible, but this is a bitter truth, which even for us, the Russian Athonites, is as incredible as it is for you. For us, this is heartfelt grief and tears, and shame, for it is hard to believe that all this is happening on Mount Athos, in the Allotment of the Most Pure Mother of God, in the Garden of Eden, in which the Celestials, the Holy Mountaineers, the Guardians of Holy Orthodoxy, should grow like flowers. Can Holy Athos - this Island of Prayer, Lighthouse and Outpost of Orthodoxy betray the Faith of the Holy Martyrs, Confessors and Holy Fathers?!

Athos salt is losing its power! We are witnessing the fact that today only a few of more than 2,500 Holy Mountaineers are rising to defend Patristic Orthodoxy. So far, none of the 20 Athos monasteries (except for Esfigmene, which has a special position) has condemned either the Bartholomew gathering in Crete, or the signed heretical ecumenical documents, and has not severed communion with the heresiarch Bartholomew.

None of the "Svyatogorsk" will justify that he did not know, did not hear and did not have information about the ongoing retreats. For today, Geronda Savva Lavriot goes around all the Svyatogorsk monasteries, cells and kalyvas, and calls everyone to the feat for the Faith, but the overwhelming majority of the "Svyatogorsk" monks are afraid to subscribe to his appeals, speak openly and follow the path of confession. The vast majority of "Svyatogorsk" monks are afraid of sorrows and persecution for the sake of Christ, and want to maintain a quiet, measured life at any cost, in silent, prayerful comfort.

But it won't work! Compromises and trampling of the Holy Faith by heretics Orthodox monks did not tolerate and will never tolerate! Orthodox monks always profess Holy Orthodoxy, always fight for Holy Orthodoxy, and when the Lord calls, they die for Holy Orthodoxy! The choice of the Faithful or the cowardice of the unfaithful, this is Loyalty to Christ or fearful silent conciliation and imperceptible acceptance of the Antichrist! For the tacit betrayal of the Holy Fathers Faith, the "Holy Mountains" will accept punishment from the Abbess of the Holy Mountain. If they do not repent for their cowardice, fear and carelessness to guard the purity of the Faith, the wrath of God will follow.

The governing body of the Holy Mountain, the Holy Kinotis, sent its representative to the False Council of Bartholomew, who, together with the rest of the “dumb” observers, i.e. not having the right to vote according to the regulations of the wicked assembly, was a silent witness to the adoption of lawless heretical documents and decisions.

The representative of the Holy Mountain did not leave the council of the wicked when he heard and saw wicked deeds, he did not shout loudly: “May the Lord forbid you, wicked ones, to ruin the patristic faith!”, did not crush the blasphemous lips of Barthol the serpent. No, the “Svyatogorets” did nothing of the kind. He swallowed everything and returned to Athos, not even realizing that with his tacit consent he laid the exorbitant blame for the accepted heresies not only on himself, but on the entire Holy Kinotis, and on all the Athos.

Knowing in advance about the ecumenical documents that they want to "approve" at this impious gathering, the Holy Kinotis should not have sent his representative there in any case. Participation in wicked deeds makes the participants partakers in wickedness and responsible for the consequences. Holy Kinotis was obliged before the entire Orthodox world to denounce and condemn the heretical documents and the heresiarch Bartholomew, and not to give him the opportunity to convene this gathering, to act out of order and mock Holy Orthodoxy.

But the trouble is that this is not a problem of today. For more than a decade, the Holy Kinotis of the Holy Mountain has been writing letters of exhortation and petition to “His Most Divine All-Holiness, Our Most Honorable Father and Vladyka Bartholomew,” and in response to these letters he does not stop committing wickedness, one worse than the other:

He prayed countless times with papists and heretics of various stripes, with non-Christians and pagans.

He celebrated Mass with the "popes" and during the Liturgy rendered to the "popes" the reverence and dignity due only to Orthodox Bishops.

Commemoration of the "Pope" at the Liturgy

Repeatedly during joint prayer, at litanies during the service, first they commemorated the “Pope of Rome”, and then Bartholomew - this is a real union and recognition of the primacy of the “pope”!

- he visited and prayed in the Jewish synagogue, accepted gifts from the Jews.

“If anyone from the clergy, or a layman, enters a Jewish or heretical synagogue to pray: let him be expelled from the holy order, and excommunicated from the communion of the church.” Canon 65 of the Holy Apostles

“A bishop, or a presbyter, or a deacon, who only prayed with heretics, may he be excommunicated. If he allows them to act in any way, as if they were servants of the Church, let him be deposed. Canon 45 of the Holy Apostles

Sacred Kinotis knows about all the ecumenical tricks of Bartholomew. Yes, in letters and epistles Kinotis does not cease to testify to the purity of Orthodoxy, referring to the Holy Fathers, denouncing everything that Bartholomew said or did wrong, but at the same time, prayerful-Eucharistic communion with him does not stop.

On Athos, a new teaching was invented, the metastases of which spread throughout the universe - throughout all the Local Orthodox Churches:

We are fighting against the pan-heresy of ecumenism, but we do not touch the ecumenist Bartholomew, he is not a heretic, but Orthodox.

We reject ecumenism, but we commemorate the main ecumenist Bartholomew, tremblingly and reverently meet, receive and serve with him.

We do not pay attention to the fact that the heresiarch Bartholomew tramples on the decrees of the Apostolic and Ecumenical Councils, but if he violates our "canon", which we invented, i.e. will "take communion from a single cup with the pope," then we will stop commemorating him.

What is this? Naivety, so comfortable or fear? Naivete immediately disappears, because the monks in Kinotis are well-read and educated, and, as I mentioned above, they see all the violations of the canonical rules that are committed. Representatives of the Holy Kinotis see everything, but do not take any measures, and Bartholomew and all heretics only need this: “write letters, denounce, only remember and do not stop communicating with us.”

Note: To the editor-in-chief of the Jesuit magazine La Civiltà Cattolica (Catholic Civilization), Antonio Spadaro Bartholomew said: "I am grateful to the Jesuits" because "I was your student at the Pontifical Oriental Institute" and spoke of Francis's "extraordinary leadership" as "Diaconia in the Ministry of Fellowship".

Who are the Jesuits? See: an evil spirit is purer than the Jesuits . The Jesuits act like the Jesuits, i.e. in a devilish way - crafty and deceitful.

Antiprosop Fathers (antiprosop - representative of the Athos monastery in the Holy Kynontis), can't wait to catch the heretic red-handed that you planted on him. He has already robbed your boldness to stand up for the defense of the Truth of Christ, and turned it against you, acting with heretical arrogance and audacity before you, and you are shackled before him by cowardice and cowardice.

What is the reason why measures are not applied to a heresiarch to cut him off from church communion? Comfort and fear. But how, - you say, - these are Svyatogorsk monks? What convenience and what fear can bind the Svyatogortsy - they are the soldiers of Christ? The convenience of complete security, a comfortable cell, peace and quiet, a measured charter and Divine services, a comfortable car, a trip, the respected name of "Svyatogorets" and millions of euros, which E the union bought the spiritual freedom of the "Svyatogorsk" in the monasteries.

The real Athos became Martyrs when the papists came to Athos and wanted to subjugate them to the "pope". The Svyatogorsk people were burned, hanged, drowned, their heads were cut off, but they remained faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God. For the Most Pure Theotokos said about the papists: "My enemies and my Son are coming." The Svyatogortsy were faithful to Christ even to death and became Saints not only in the name of the Holy Mountain, but in deed.

The Svyatogortsy chose death for the sake of Christ, but they did not commemorate the wicked "dad"; today no one threatens with death, but the "Svyatogorsk people" commemorate the disciple of the Jesuits and papists - the Uniate, the heresiarch Bartholomew. Some of the “Highlanders” show loyalty to the heresiarch Bartholomew more than to our Lord Jesus Christ: they fear the heretic more than the Living God; cling to comfort and rest, and fear exile and suffering for Christ's sake; false obedience and non-judgment of a heretic were placed above the preservation of the purity of Holy Orthodoxy.

The Svyatogortsy bear the main responsibility for all the heretical iniquities of Bartholomew, including the False Council of Crete. The determination and application of the sword of Faith to Bartholomew in time would have stopped or restrained his heretical adventures, which today have already turned into unbridled satanic covens. And even if they hadn’t stopped, then the courageous stand of the Athonites against heresy and heretic would have served as the best example for our brethren in the world, who would also courageously stand up to fight the ecumenists in their Local Churches, cutting them off from Church communion.

A week before the False Council of Crete, Father Raphael, myself, the sinful Onufry, and two more monks from our Brotherhood visited Elder Gabriel of Karey. Father Raphael and Geronda Gabriel sincerely love and respect each other, in confessing the Truth of Christ they have one mind and unanimity. Father Raphael told Elder Gabriel about the disagreements that arose in our Brotherhood in connection with our confessional position - not remembering the heresiarchs Cyril and Bartholomew according to the 15th canon of the Double Council of Constantinople.

Some of our hieromonks and monks do not agree with our position of not remembering; do not agree that we call the document "Relations of the Orthodox Church with the rest of the Christian world" heretical, ecumenical; do not agree that we condemn the false patriarchs Cyril and Bartholomew, call them heretics and heresiarchs. We talked about all this with Elder Gabriel.

Geronda Gabriel confirmed that the document "Relation of the Orthodox Church to the rest of the Christian world" is heretical, and that if it is approved at the Crete Council, we will break off communion with the ecumenists, we will not be able to follow them. Geronda urged us to be patient for a few days until the “council”. But he also warned us that for the standing of a confessor, both us and himself would be expelled from Athos. The elder supported us in everything and strengthened us to follow the path of confession.

Today, two weeks after the end of the False Council of Crete, we see that the warnings of Geronda Gabriel are coming true. Monks who disagree with the false council, ecumenism, who do not commemorate Bartholomew and stop communicating with those who commemorate ecumenists, they will be expelled from their monasteries and cells, they will be driven from the Holy Mountain. Athos begins the persecution of Orthodox monks who want to defend the Truth of Christ and fight against the all-heresy of ecumenism. There are now few Confessors of Orthodoxy on Athos - 40-50 monks.

Glory and thanksgiving to God! The main thing is that there are confessors on Athos! And even if there were two or three of them, they would be sufficient for the Divine Truth to be proclaimed and for Orthodox Christians throughout the universe to hear it. For Divine Truth, the Church of Christ is not in the majority and not in official representatives, and not in patriarchs and bishops, when they choose the path of compromise with heresy and heretics.

Church of Christ, according to St. Maximus the Confessor, this is a right and saving confession of Faith in Christ. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20) We want to be with Christ and in the Church of Christ, and not with heretics. “I hate the church of the wicked, and I will not sit with the wicked” (Ps. 25:5). Having a grace-filled example of the confession of our Elders - Father Raphael and Geronda Gabriel, Geronda Savva, we wish to keep the Faith of Christ pure, and with their holy prayers we follow them through the Way of the Cross of confession.


We support our brethren, the Hilandar Confessors, in everything, we bless them and pray for them, so that with the holy prayers of our Elders, God will strengthen them with His grace, so that we may make a good confession to them until the Victory Crown.

Today, it doesn’t matter where a person is – on Mount Athos, in Russia, in Serbia, in Greece, in Bulgaria or Georgia, today it is important to understand that the time of confession has come, the time of grace, when you have to suffer for the Faith of Christ. Today we have been given not just the opportunity to confess the Truth of Christ, today we are obliged to follow the path of confession in order to keep the Orthodox Faith pure and not be defiled in communion with the heretics Bartholomew and Cyril, and those who share the same wisdom with them. The enemies of God are preparing a single world religion for the acceptance of Satan in the Jew-possessed by him - the Antichrist.

For all the vigilant and soberly praying Orthodox (cf. Matt. 26:41) it is obvious that the processes of globalization and ecumenism are antichrist. Therefore, knowing where, to whom and to what the ecumenists will lead, and to continue to follow them is soul-destructive. Following heretics testifies to lukewarmness, first of all, to the salvation of one's soul, as well as to the souls of Christ's flock entrusted to you.

Bishops and priests, and all the holy mountaineers who continue to commemorate heresiarchs, even after Chambesy 2016, after the Council of Bishops on February 2-3, after the Union of Havana, after the impious false council of Crete, compromise with heresy and heretics.

Bishops and priests who in their hearts do not agree with the heresy of ecumenism and do not participate in this wickedness are not heretics, and the churches in Rus' and Mount Athos are not heretical. Not heretics and Russian people who go to churches, as well as Orthodox Christians in other Local Churches. But today it is not enough to reject the heresy within oneself, one must confess it openly and fence oneself off from heretics because: “With the heart they believe unto righteousness, but with the mouth they confess unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10)

Priests who remain subordinate to heretics become dependent on these heretics. What answer will each give to God for his silent betrayal of the Orthodox Faith?! Because he did not consider it necessary or was afraid to defend Orthodoxy by anathematizing heresy? Will they themselves notice, will someone tell them that the grace of God has abandoned them? The reason for the loss of grace will be precisely the extension of fellowship and following the heretics. They, imperceptibly even for themselves, can lose communion with God, salvation, and Christ Himself.

Heresy deprives a person of the grace of the Holy Spirit, and without grace neither repentance, nor union with Christ, nor the salvation of our souls is possible. When will they stop? And can they stop? Will they be able to repent? Whoever follows the heretics will fall into the devil's captivity, for neglecting the Truth, he will lose the grace of God and accept the deception of demons. A holy place is never empty when, because of the mortal sin of wickedness - because of heresy, the Spirit of God leaves a person, the evil spirit comes:

“For the mystery of iniquity is already at work, only it will not be accomplished until the one who restrains now is taken from the midst, and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the manifestation of His coming, the one whose coming, according to the action Satan, will be with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception of those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth for their salvation. And for this God will send them a force of error, so that they will believe a lie, so that all who do not believe the truth, but love unrighteousness, will be condemned. (2 Thess. 2:7-12)

When heresy raises its head, the Orthodox go to war! The heresy raised its head and built a nest for itself in the hearts of the false patriarchs Bartholomew and Cyril. In order to preserve our Faith, every Orthodox is obliged to take up arms against the many-headed ecumenical serpent. Every heresy is the fruit and invention of the devil. Ecumenism is a diabolical false religion, gentle evil, the seduction of sincere people to accept the evil Antichrist. That is why for an Orthodox Christian compromises and communion with either heresy or heretics are unacceptable, for these are compromises and communion with the devil himself!

"Don't associate with unbelievers! What communion does righteousness have with iniquity, what does light have in common with darkness, and what agreement does Christ have with Belial, or what is the share of the faithful with the unfaithful, how to combine the temple of God with idols? (2 Corinthians 6:14-16)

“A heretic, after the first and second admonition, turn away, knowing that such a person has become corrupt and sins, being self-condemned.” (Tit. 3:10)

Study the following materials and stand unshakably on guard of Holy Orthodoxy!

15th RULE - ZEALTY FOR GOD, NOT SCHIT! Letter...

This is what the great champion and conscience of Orthodoxy, St. Seraphim of Sophia, teaches us: “Look, brethren,” says the apostle, “lest anyone captivate you with philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Col. 2:8)

Here the great Apostle expresses not only a wish, but also an admonition that we firmly and unswervingly adhere to the Orthodox Faith and not fall into any heresies. The Apostle Paul protects us from the greatest evil, from the most serious sin, which is heresy. This is the sin of Satan himself, who is the first heretic, for he unorthodox thought that he could be equal to God. By virtue of this sin, the day-keeper rebelled against his Creator and was deprived for this of that greatest grace-filled glory that the Lord gave him: he lost his blissful union with God, was cast down from heaven to earth and determined to eternal hellish torment in fiery hell.

But all heretics sin with the same satanic sin. By distorting and destroying this or that teaching of Christ the Savior, transmitted by Him to the Orthodox Church through the Apostles and Holy Fathers, they thereby rebel against God. Therefore, they inherit the fate of the devil - eternal hellish torment. This bitter truth is testified in the biography of Cyriacus the hermit. Here the story is told about how the Lord, through His Angel, revealed to a certain monk Theophanes about the afterlife of Arius, Dioscorus, Severus, Nestorius, Eutyches and other heretics. Monk Theophan saw them in hellish torment, engulfed in the flames of Gehenna fire.

However, heretics are subject to severe punishment not only in the future life, but also in the present, earthly. The same great Apostle says: “If we, or an angel from heaven, announces to you more than we bring you the gospel, let him be anathema” (Gal. 1: 8). What does anathema mean? This means the removal from us of the inner baptismal grace. And in it is the source of truth and indestructible strength for our fight against evil. It is the means by which we achieve true happiness and eternal divine joy from union with Christ.

Consequently, Orthodox Christians who accept a different gospel, which is the same - this or that heresy, are cut off from communion with God, the Source of our salvation, of all true good, and become an instrument of evil in the hands of the devil, i.e. the most miserable people in the world.

What follows from all that has been said for us to conclude? If heresy is so pernicious, then let us, brothers and sisters beloved in Christ, firmly and steadfastly hold on to the Orthodox Faith, which is confessed by our Holy Church.”

We will resist this heresy with a wall
Let's stand together for Faith Right!
And we will become the formidable army of Christ
And we will strike the spirit of apostasy!

We are against heresy to fight speaking,
Ready to fight to the bitter end!
And fulfilling the commandments of the Son,
Let's do the will of the Heavenly Father!

Christ is risen! Stop apostasy!
We are with Christ under the Sign of the Cross!
Live Russian Spirit! My Russia is alive!
Her collective Soul is alive!

Monk Michael

June 28/July 11, 2016
Icon of the Mother of God, called "Three Hands"
Prepp. Sergius and Herman, Wonderworkers of Valaam

Hieroschemamonk Raphael (Berestov), ​​Mount Athos
Hieroschemamonk Onufriy (Stebelev-Velasquez), Mount Athos
Monk Luke (Vasilevich), Mount Athos
Monk Onufry (Dimitrov), Mount Athos
Monk Damian (Mikhalevich), Holy Mount Athos
Novice Daniel (Duvnyak), Holy Mount Athos
Hierodeacon Damian (Tsenov), Mount Athos
Monk George (Amirov), Holy Mount Athos
Monk Ephraim (Pishchikov), Holy Mount Athos
Monk Hermogenes (Kobzarev), Holy Mount Athos
Monk Simeon (Berestov), ​​Holy Mount Athos
Monk Sergius (Khozhainov), Holy Mount Athos

Monk Venedikt (Smyshlyaev), Holy Mount Athos
Novice Alexy (Tretyakov), Holy Mount Athos
Novice John (August), Holy Mount Athos