The Division of the Athos Monastery of Esphigmenou

Recently, the controversy in the Athonite community regarding the issue of the Esphigmenou Monastery has been renewed. The crisis that has begun in the 1970s, was centered on the monks' reaction to the relationship between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Roman Catholic Church. The confrontation continues to this day, causing confusion between the believers who follow the developments with dismay.

A little bit of history

The first reference to the Monastery of Esphigmenou dates back to 998. However, its foundation should be placed much earlier. According to tradition, the first monastery was founded by the Empress Pulcheria (408-450), but was destroyed by a landslide. Over the centuries, the place has been decimated several times by pirate raids, and during the Turkish occupation, the monastery was taken by the Ottomans.

The first reports mention the monastery by the name of 'Esphagmenou'. However, it remained in history as Monastery of 'Esphigmenou'; according to tradition, the name (which in Greek literally means 'tightened') indicates the location of the monastery in the confined space between the three mountains and the sea surrounding it.

The catholicon of the monastery is dedicated to the Ascension of Christ.

The chronicle of the controversy

During the 1970s, the monks of the Monastery of Esphigmenou voiced their disagreement regarding the relationship that the Ecumenical Patriarchate was developing with the Roman Catholic Church. Soon, the monastery ceased all relations with the Patriarchate, and even separated from the other monasteries of Mount Athos, isolating its position.

As a result, a few years later the monks were labeled as "schismatics" and asked to leave the Athos peninsula, as defined by the Constitution of Mount Athos. At the same time, a new Esphigmenite Brotherhood was founded, the only one fully recognized by the Holy Community of Mount Athos and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. However, since the zealots monks, as they are often called, refused to leave both the buildings and the monastery's konak (residence), the Esphigmenite Brotherhood resorted to the Greek court.

After continuous hearings and court decisions, in 2013, police forces together with judicial representatives approached the monastery's konak and asked for its immediate evacuation. The refusal of the monks was particularly intense and led to strong disagreements. A characteristic event was the throwing of homemade Molotov cocktails by the monks towards the authorities.

Nowadays, the new brotherhood of the Esphigmenou Monastery is based in the konak in Karyes, while the monastery's buildings are still under occupation. After continuous trials and court decisions, in the recent days a letter came from the Greek police stating that they are ready and intend to intervene in order to end the occupation and restore the legitimate function of the monastery. Based on this warning, a series of discussions and negotiations were reopened. The Holy Community of Mount Athos has requested further clarification from the Greek authorities in order to ensure a peaceful outcome. On the other hand, the schismatic monastic community has drafted a letter expressing its peaceful intentions.

As the enforcement of judgments is prohibited by the Code of Civil Procedure between the 1^st and 31^st of August, the final date for the forced evacuation of the monastery is Wednesday, July 31. Otherwise, the procedure will have to be carried out again in September.