The Holy Community of Mount Athos has issued an official letter of protest to Greece’s Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, expressing strong objections to a recent exhibition at the National Gallery that, according to the monastic community, “offends Orthodox faith and the religious sensibilities of the people.”
Dated March 26, 2025, and signed by the representatives of all the Holy Monasteries of the Athonite State, the letter describes certain works in the exhibition as “provocative and blasphemous,” stating that they contain “blatant contempt and mockery of the Holy Image of the Most Holy Theotokos and of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“We wonder,” the letter states, “how in our homeland—where Orthodoxy constitutes a spiritual foundation of our nation—such blasphemous and offensive works can be publicly promoted, and under the auspices of the state no less.”
According to emakedonia.gr, the monastic community calls on the state to assume its responsibility, underlining that “freedom of art cannot be equated with disrespect and the degradation of a faith that is an integral part of national identity.”
In a concluding appeal, the Athonite monks urge Minister Mendoni to take personal initiative to ensure the removal of the controversial artworks and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“With respect and sincerity, we fervently ask that you ensure such unacceptable offenses against our faith and the Orthodox piety of our people are not repeated,” the letter concludes.
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
