ELDER KALLINIKOS OF MOUNT ATHOS (1853-1930)
of Mr Panagiotis Illiopoulos
The Athonite Kallinikos belongs to the great figures of Athonite monasticism. Constantine Theiaspris - this his name in world – was born in 1853 in Athens by pious parents who came from captains of the Greek revolution against Turks in 1821.
He was brisk and smart kid. Along with his homework, he was studying various Christian books, of which experienced the wonderful life of ascetics. In 1875, at age 22, he came to attending the virtuous elder Daniel in Katounakia on Mount Athos.
Elder Daniel when saw the Athenian young man doubted if he could live the heavy monastic life. But he quickly changed his mind and he made him monk named him Kallinikos.
Fr Kallinikos had zeal for the ascetic life and deeply appeal for learning and studying various patristic books. In a short period of time, he could speak and write Russian, self-taught. For his general support of the Russian monk Tsar of Russia presented him with medals.
With the agreement of his elder Father Daniel he decides to live inclusions that means that he was living in a cell and in a small area around it for 45 years.
This heroic decision was coupled with complete surrender to God's providence, with prayer and continuous fasting. It certainly is not the life for all but for "whom is given”. The silk worm creates silk once the cocoon has closed. (Fr Cherubem).
Metropolitan of Trikki and Staga Dionysios wrote about him: "I saw a righteous face, imposing holy ..." His reputation attracted a crowd of people near him to listen to an enlightened answer to their problems”.
Subjunctive, elders, hermits, koinoviates, secular, legal, military, university professors, deans, Greeks, Russians and generally people of all ages, social order and the bringing up, went to the righteous Father of Katounakia of tranquilizer to consult about their problems. Among them was Joseph the Spilaiotis, Fr. Menagias etc.
And he became worthy including minimum Fathers of the saw of the Uncreated Light. By the exercise of mental prayer he was able to see divine lights writes monk Erastos . (Two Contemporary Saints, Athens 1963).
On 7 August 1930 the “prisoner” quieter of the desert of Katounakia Kallinikos was going to leave for "the beloved abode of Lord”.
After he called for the end his subordinate, his told him to prepare the Church. For ten minutes before he died, he was sawing holy faces that had to accompany him in the departure of honorary. Then he was heard to mumble quietly "I thank God! I die Orthodox. . . “(Fr. Cherubem).
With the beginning of the 20th century was born in the church a curious pattern. A weird beast. Ecumenism.
In that no religion has the full truth. Each religion has part of the truth. Integrated truth will result from the union of Churches and all religions. Pan- Religion- Ecumenism. Various celebrities have identified the ecumenism as pan-heresy
The first step of ecumenism was the change in the calendar, as is shown in the Encyclical of the Patriarchate in 1920 and in the minutes of the Conference of Constantinople in 1923 that Orthodox and Papists should concelebrate. So in 1923 the modernist patriarch of Constantinople Meletios Metaxakis dared the disastrous change of calendar.
Whole Mount Athos (except Vatopedi monastery for some time) lasted until now keeps the old (Julian) calendar. A significant portion of the Zealots monks made stopping the commemoration of innovative patriarch. The illuminated elder Kallinikos could not remain impassive in this unprecedented betrayal of faith.
In him (Fr Kalinikos) as wiser and holiest concerned Fathers turned for advice on what action to take, and he interpret the Scriptures, blunt and doubts based on the holy fathers and 15th rule of AB (First- Second) Synod advising the elders to stop the commemoration of the modernist patriarch Meletios Metaxakis. In one such gathering in terms of non disruption of commemoration of the Patriarch, Elder Kallinikos featured deliberately "demonian fraud" (Maximus Agiovasileiatus. “Termination of Mount Athos Fathers” Mount Athos 1997, p. 160).
The position of this blessed Elder Kallinikos on ecumenist innovation of calendar’s change is shown by the following fact.
Someone wanted to become a priest and wrote revealing letters and sent to Fr. Kalinikos. The elder told the submissives; Write to the brother that being situated in a sludge pit and clicking his fingers and shouts make him king. He should first get out by the pit of new- calendarist innovation to clean and then he see if he is worthy to be king "(Monk Damascene, St. Agiovaleiatis, journal “Agathangelos the Esfigmenite” v. 74 1984).
He was receiving the religious magazines "Life". But when the change was made in the calendar, he immediately returned the magazine.
We could say that the elder Kallinikos played in our days the role of St. Mark the Evgenikkos, of St. Gregory the Palamas and of St Maximus the Confessor and other fighters Fathers who in times of crisis for the church remained unique supporters of Orthodoxy.
On the evidence cited is understood that elder Fr Kallinikos Katounakiotis, the “prisoner” tranquilizer, is a modern form of the monastic desert denounced the heresy of the Italians, the Papacy and the modern pan-heresies of ecumenism-New- calendarism.
Let us his blessing!