The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Esfigmenos on Mount Athos, Archimandrite Bartholomew, was received by Archbishop George of Cyprus, at the Archiepiscopal Palace in Nicosia on Monday, September 9, 2024, during a four-day visit to Cyprus.
The Archbishop expressed his deep sorrow over the continued occupation of the central building complex of the Esfigmenos Monastery on Mount Athos, as well as the obstruction of the implementation of lawful decisions by various parties acting in their self-interest.
The Archbishop of Cyprus stressed the urgent need for an immediate end to the occupation for the sake of Mount Athos and the Orthodox Church as a whole. He also stressed the need for the faithful to remain vigilant against the danger of propaganda by the occupiers of the Monastery, whose aim is to draw them away from the Eastern Orthodox Church and convert them to the religious community to which they belong (“Church of the True Orthodox Christians of Greece”), using religious fanaticism as a means.
Finally, the Archbishop of Cyprus informed the Abbot of the Monastery and his entourage of the challenges facing the Church and Cyprus in general. He also asked them to pray on Mount Athos for himself, the Church of Cyprus, and the people of Cyprus.
