By IASONAS TSOLIS*
“Madonna had many questions; she had metaphysical and spiritual concerns. She asked me many questions. I think something deep within her was touched —obviously, by the place she had come to visit.” With these words, the abbot of the Holy Monastery of Varlaam in Meteora, Archimandrite Fr. Benedict Zacharakis, describes Madonna’s visit to the monastery, speaking for the first time exclusively to Orthodoxi Alitheia.
“Above all, she wanted to discover another aspect of faith. She asked me about prayer and about my prayer rope. I told her that the shortest and most important prayer is ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,’ which acknowledges the omnipotence of Jesus. She was very pleased. But what she said at the end was, in a way, her complaint. She said that the visit had not been organized well enough and that she wished she had had more time. ‘I wanted to stay longer; I needed more time here,’ she told her associates,” Fr. Benedict says.
On Friday, August 14, the eyes of the world shifted from the bright lights of the international music scene to the towering rocks of Meteora in Greece. Madonna, just days before her 68th birthday, left behind the cosmopolitan island of Corfu and made her way to the Varlaam Monastery, seeking a different, more spiritual experience.
Despite the strict secrecy she had requested, Madonna’s presence in Meteora did not go entirely unnoticed. “I was informed 15 days ago [about Madonna’s visit] that she intended to visit our monastery away from the public eye. She did not want to be seen or for her visit to become known. On Friday, which was the eve of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, our monastery would normally have been closed. However, we opened as usual that day, both because of the feast and because we did not want to give the impression that we were giving special treatment to this particular visitor,” Fr. Benedict explains.
The abbot of the Holy Monastery of Varlaam speaks for the first time, exclusively to Orthodoxi Alitheia, about his meeting with the world-famous artist. “She arrived after the monastery had closed, in a very simple and discreet manner. I had been told that she had questions about our faith and that she wanted to experience some moments of spiritual introspection. And the truth is that she had a great many questions. As she was being shown around the Katholikon, she asked about the frescoes on the walls. Then we went to our guesthouse, where we offer visitors the traditional monastery hospitality, and there we sat down and spoke privately,” the abbot says.
Simplicity
After welcoming Madonna and showing her around the Holy Monastery, Fr. Benedict spent considerable time speaking with her. “I welcomed her in exactly the same way as I would welcome the simplest person. There was nothing different or special about the way I treated her. After all, this woman herself came with such simplicity. She was nothing like the image we see in the media. She was a human being like everyone else. A person came seeking spiritual guidance, and I did what I had to do. “What I have come to understand is that much of what we see these people doing is not always entirely their own choice. They are constantly influenced by their surroundings, by the people around them, who can have a great deal of influence over them. They get carried away and end up doing many things. You see one person, but behind that person there may be ten others who encourage, direct and organize things and, in one way or another, influence them.”
Madonna’s relationship with religion has been long, complex and often controversial. Raised in a strict Catholic environment and according to the principles of the Roman Catholic faith, she later came into sharp conflict with the Catholic Church, which has, at times, strongly criticized her artistic choices and use of religious imagery and references. Along the way, she turned to the study of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism, at times even adopting the Hebrew name “Esther.”
It has been a spiritual journey marked by searching, contradictions and a variety of influences. This inevitably raises a question: what was it that brought a woman who has spent decades living under the glare of the international spotlight to Meteora? “What impressed her most was our monastery as a whole, and particularly the essence of spiritual life. Our conversation constantly revolved around the salvation of the soul. She seemed genuinely interested; that was what she wanted to focus on,” Fr. Benedict says.
The Varlaam Monastery, also known as the Monastery of All Saints, is today one of the six active monasteries of Meteora. It stands atop an imposing rock opposite the Great Meteoron, in a landscape where human presence seems suspended between earth and sky. Its name is associated with the ascetic Varlaam, who settled on the rock in the 14th century. After his repose, however, the site remained deserted for a long period.
The history of the present-day monastery essentially begins in the early 16th century, when two hieromonks from Ioannina, Nektarios and Theofanis Apsarades, members of a prominent Byzantine family, settled on the rock and established an organized monastic community there. The two founders renovated the older buildings and laid the foundations for the monastery’s subsequent period of great prosperity. In 1541, the present katholikon, dedicated to All Saints, was completed. It remains a characteristic example of the Athonite architectural tradition.
A veritable treasure trove of art
Inside the katholikon, visitors encounter a veritable treasure trove of post-Byzantine art. The frescoes, architecture, portable icons, manuscripts and sacred relics come together to form a unique ensemble, reflecting the remarkable spiritual and artistic flourishing of Meteora. The Varlaam Monastery was also an important center of learning and letters. In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, it was home to one of the most highly organized manuscript-copying workshops among the monasteries of Meteora.
Even the very means of accessing the monastery form part of its history. For centuries, the ascent to the rock was made using wooden stairways, ladders and nets. The image of monks and pilgrims suspended above the void, sometimes even risking their lives, has since become part of the legend of Meteora. In 1923, the present staircase of 195 steps was carved into the rock, making access to the monastery safer and easier.
Revival
“The monastery went through many different phases. It experienced periods of flourishing, but also periods of decline. Its revival, which marked the beginning of its modern history, came in 1961, thanks to the efforts of an active and deeply spiritual man, the late Metropolitan Dionysios of Trikki and Stagoi, who took over the care of the monasteries from the Greek National Tourism Organization. At the time, the Great Meteoron was already operating as a hotel, while preparations were underway for it to resume its function as a monastery,” Fr. Benedict explains.
Three young monks, who would later follow distinguished paths of their own as hierarchs of the Church of Greece, were the ones who laid new foundations for Meteora’s role as a center of monasticism.
“Then he invited Konstantinos Karousos, later Metropolitan Kallinikos of Piraeus, who at the time was a young hieromonk from the Chrysopigi Brotherhood. He came together with three of his spiritual children: Christos Paraskevaidis, later Archbishop Christodoulos; Athanasios Lenis, later Metropolitan Ambrosios of Kalavryta and Aigialeia; and Georgios Fatouros, later Metropolitan Agathonikos of Kitros in Katerini. Our elder, Fr. Isidoros, was also with them. “This was the first brotherhood, and they carried out important foundational work. Their intention was to remain at the monastery, to struggle spiritually and to offer. They brought a new ‘air’ to monastic life at Meteora because they were young men with qualifications and spiritual gifts. People began to come, and gradually the place was transformed. They were the first leaven from which the subsequent course of Meteora would develop,” Fr. Benedict says.
“Agent 007,” Roger Moore, and Madonna
Madonna’s visit was not the first time that the Varlaam Monastery attracted the attention of the international media. In October 1980, “Agent 007,” played by Roger Moore, disturbed the tranquility of the rocks of Meteora. The production of the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only had decided to use the Varlaam Monastery as a filming location, transforming it into the hideout of the villain Kristatos. The monks, however, objected, citing the violence depicted in the James Bond films, and did everything in their power to prevent the filming from being completed. Their opposition and protests ultimately led to legal action, with the then Metropolitan Sevastianos seeking to halt the filming by filing a criminal complaint. Despite these efforts, the production eventually managed to complete the film.
A few days ago, Madonna chose to visit that very same place. The American star arrived at Meteora from Corfu with her son and a group of approximately a dozen people accompanying them. Two helicopters were used for their transportation, while, at the request of her team, the visit to the Varlaam Monastery took place outside the usual visiting hours. Accompanied by guides, Madonna spent approximately three hours at the monastery. The image is symbolic in itself. A woman who has spent almost four decades in the spotlight, amid concerts, elaborate stage productions, and public exposure, found herself in a place whose values lie precisely in the opposite direction: silence, prayer and seclusion.
Perhaps this is also why the Varlaam Monastery continues to fascinate. It is not merely an impressive destination. It is a place where history and faith have coexisted for centuries. And Madonna’s recent visit, beyond the publicity it generated, served as a reminder of something deeper: even in an age of global stars, there are still places where people ascend not to be seen, but to find some peace and quiet.
*Republished from the newspaper Orthodoxi Alithia / Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
