GOC-K Press Release on Greek Police Seizing Esphigmenou Buildings in Thessalonika
November 05, 2014 (Source:
NFTU: Metropolitan Gerontios of Pireaus, the spokesman for the GOC-K Synod, has commented on the recent seizures of Esphigmenou properties in Thessalonika. The Ecumenical Patriarchate and his police force have mostly been limited to persecutorial measures being implemented on Mt. Athos; traditionally the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been accorded legal capacities on Mt. Athos (it all assumes the Ecumenical Patriarchate is Orthodox, as opposed to the current heretics who have seated themselves on the Throne of Constantinople falsely). However, recent measures have been to extend the Ecumenical Patriarchates power into Greece (both his ecclesiastical claims and now legal claims). It was several decades before the True Orthodox could achieve some level of legal religious independence (with the 1920s and 1930s being the worst period, during which it was a free for all persecution spree by New Calendarists against True Orthodox in Greece, with even many clergy and laity being subject to death; in Romania, during the 1930s it was far worse). Met. Gerontios points out that the precedent by the Greek courts and police is something one more expects from Islamic countries.
The True, or Genuine, Orthodox Christians of Greece, commonly called “Old Calendarists” are bishops, priests, clergy, monastics, and laity who separated from the “Official” State Church of Greece in the 1920s and 1930s over the adoption of the New (Gregorian) Calendar (which had previously been anathematized by Pan-Orthodox Synods and declared to be a schismatic calendar by even the State Church of Greece in 1919). The True Orthodox became increasingly vocal about issues of modernism and ecumenism (of which the New Calendar was seen to be a symptom; it’s major proponent being the well-known Freemason “Patriarch” of Constantionple, Meletios Metaxakis), denouncing them as heretical. As a result, they were subject to violent and repressive measures by liberal “Official Church” authorities, who sought measures (and still do) to repress them for their refusal to accept ecumenism, modernism, and its expressions of joint-prayer and joint-services with non-Orthodox (the True Orthodox maintaining that the non-Orthodox should instead be converted).
Below is a portion of the press release with a link to the Greek original:
PRESS RELEASE
The GOC Metropolitan of Pireaus and Salamina, Kyr. Gerontios II, spokesman of the Holy Synod of the GOC of Greece, made the following statement:
“Who would have expected that in 2014 Greece Mount Athos Orthodox would be persecuted for their faith, on the pretext of” legality “! Current events in the Holy konaki Esphigmenou are sad. It amply demonstrates that the interests of the so called “canonical” [Church] are nothing more than the seizure of the remaining assets of Esphigmenou.
The Holy Synod of the Church of GOC Greece expresses its sorrow at these events and at the same time draws attention to all those inside and outside of Mount Athos who attend events as mere spectators.
