How do you argue with them?

[Seraphim Reeves]

By now, I'm sure most of you are familiar with the struggle of the monks of Esphigmenou monastery on Mt.Athos. However, it was only today that I read two of their official letters to the EP detailing why they have taken the stand that they have. After reading them, I'm hard pressed to see how anyone doubts the correctness of their stance, and at the same time claim to know anything of Orthodoxy whatsoever.

The letters are at the following URL's:

http://www.esphigmenou.com/confession%20of%20faith.htm

http://www.esphigmenou.com/2nd%20answer ... olomew.htm

As for the situation of the monastery in it's entirity, there is a website dedicated to this (on which the above linked articles can be found) here:

http://www.esphigmenou.com/

Let's pray for these monks, and that hearts in the EP will be softened.

Seraphim

[Justin Kissel]

I hadn't read the one article, about the response to Balamand, since I was a catechumen (roughly late summer, 2000), and it was quite interesting how much more I understood now, and how I reacted to it. I just say that to thank you for bringing it to my attention again.

While I felt bad for what was going on with the monks, I must admit that before tonight I had a somewhat fuzzy idea as to their ecclesiology. I had thought it perhaps a bit extreme, based on my reading of this article. Having read the two articles you provided, though, and skimmed back over this other article I just linked too, I can see that I was most likely in error, and that their ecclesiology is as sound as possible.

I'm also glad to see that (seemingly) they took the somewhat biased story about the death of the first monk off the site, and replace it with a story from the AP. I can totally understand that they must have been devestated when the monk died, and I can thus understand the way in which the original article was written. Still, for the sake of those who might be viewing the site who are not traditionalist Orthodox, the AP version most likely "comes off" much better (and if the EP is going to yield, I think it will be because of an outcry from the "moderates").

[demetrios karaolanis]

I knew that esphigmenou was in trouble but now I have a much deeper grasp of it. I have read much about the holy mountian and I feel awful about what has been happening there with esphigmenou as well as some others, does anyone know in more detail what happened a few years back at the skete of the prophet elias? if there are any links I would like to see them.

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

I just wanted to post this link...

http://www.ecclesiagoc.org/sections/def ... action.htm

It is the reaction of the Phanar to the letter wrtten by the monks of Mt. Athos, which was the first link in Serpahim Reeves post above.

This may offer additional light explaining why Esphigmenou is so isolated today, when in the past, they always shared sympathy and understanding with the other monasteries.

[demetrios karaolanis]

thank you for the link and also welcome to the forum. hope to see you around more. I will continue to remember esphigmenou and abbot methosius in my prayers

[Justin Kissel]

After thinking about it further, it seems that they hold to the extreme ecclesiology that would condemn ROCOR and other traditionalists....