The emergency airlift and the admission of Abbot Ephraim of Vatopedi Monastery to the Evangelismos Hospital is a fact.
It is also a fact that some physicians decided that the dear Elder should be transported by private flight to the hospital in Athens.
Otherwise, why should anyone rush by air from Mount Athos to Athens if there is no, unfortunately for the patient, deterioration?
And why do they accuse OrthodoxTimes from Vatopedi? Nearly 20 more major online media outlets have published the news. Did they also ask them to delete it? Did they send “extra-judicial notices” to them as well?
Some around Elder Ephraim — we doubt whether they know what Vatopedi looks like inside— are annoyed because we are not the mouthpiece.
We wholeheartedly hope that Abbot Ephraim’s health condition should continue to be good and that he should be well and strong.
Yesterday he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Today, our information from the medical report —because OrthodoxTimes reports and does not publish the following suggestions— indicates that, unfortunately, there has been a deterioration.
I hope everything goes well. When Abbot Ephraim is discharged from the hospital, it would be good to consider the strategy of his associates.
Those who “demand” to dictate to us what to publish. Those who “require” us to delete posts they do not like.
Those who communicate “extra-judicial notices” by email and not by a bailiff, adumbrating their demands.
Why does a monastery send “extra-judicial” notices and lawsuits?
Instead of asking for a correction or an article with an opposite view if we have made a mistake in our journalistic work. Then we can publish it with much joy.
In any case, we suggest that the money available for promotion, public relations, and “extra-judicial notices” be donated to charity.
Ε.Ε.