Official visit to the Prime Minister of Greece Kiriakos Mitsikitisis on Holy Mount Athosplanned for July 5, 2025, was in question after open protest from the outside Seven Athos monasteries.
Abstracts of the monastery Filofei, Karakall, Dochiar, Gregory, Constamon, Kutlumush And St. Paul They said that they would not take part in the ceremony of the meeting of the head of government, expressing a deep disagreement with a number of recent decisions of the Athenian authorities.
The main reason for the reaction of the monasteries was the law adopted in February of the current year, allowing “Same -sex marriages” and adoption of children with such “Pairs”. According to the Svyatogorstsev, such legislation “Offends the religious feelings and moral foundations of the Orthodox people”violating the thousand -year spiritual traditions of Greece. In written statements submitted at the meeting Holy Kinota Athosthe monks emphasized that the law contradicts Orthodox teaching and is a direct challenge to Christian morality.
Although a visit Kiriakos Mitsikitisis officially designated as a spiritual pilgrimage, with stops in monasteries Iveron, Vatoped, Xenophon and overnight in Simonopetrathe absence of representatives of seven monastery at the meeting actually undermines the unity of the traditional reception protocol. According to a number of sources, even symbolic protests are possible in separate monasteries, as was previously.
Nevertheless Holy movie Athos He sent a letter to the Prime Minister, which expresses his readiness to meet him with respect and cordiality, provided that the traditional protocol of the visit is observed. The document emphasizes that the visit will be accompanied by the convocation of the Extraordinary Double Assembly, as well as the prayer wishes of God's assistance in carrying high ministry.
A similar situation has already taken place in the past: in 2016, the Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras refused to travel to Athos after similar protests by part of the monasteries in connection with the bill on civilian unions for “Same -sex steam”. That time in the monastery Dochiar A banner with the inscription was installed “Atheists from Mount Athos”.
In conditions when Holy Mountain He seeks to remain outside political processes, the current reaction of the monasteries is not political, but the spiritual character – evidence of jealousy of jealousy of the purity of the Orthodox faith and morality, which remains in the Athos monasticism.
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