Most of you have heard by now of the troubling news regarding Fr. Efrem, the abbot of Vatopaidi monastery on Mount Athos.

For those of you who may not have heard, you can read most of the details here.  For news on the latest protest, click here. 

This is so heartbreaking.  It's a sign of the sad condition that Greece is in right now.  I cannot believe that an Orthodox country would start arresting it's monastics to push political agendas.  And there is no doubt in anyone's mind that this is exactly what is going on there.  And what timing!  After 60 Minutes shed some light on life there and introduced this holy place to many people who never even knew it existed, Greece goes and does something like this to discredit the monasteries.  It's such a shame.  My heart cries for the motherland...

It does bring me joy to hear that after Fr. Efrem was thrown into prison with terrorists and other high profile criminals, he began spreading his love for Christ and teaching and confessing many of the inmates there.  What an inspiration! The first thing I thought of when I heard this news was that he is a modern day Fr. Arseny.  Have any of you read that book? It is an incredible book. 

Following is a statement taken from the website Pemptousia, an association of friends of the Vatopaidi monastery, and letter of appealing the courts for the decision to imprison Fr. Efrem:

Dear friends,

We, the Orthodox people, Greeks and non-Greeks, have been astounded and appalled at the unwarranted decision of the Athens Court of Appeals to remand Elder Efrem into custody.
We are, therefore, called upon to express our firm condemnation of this decision and our support to Elder Efrem by signing the following form.

Letter condemning the decision

To
The President of theHellenicRepublic,
The Prime Minister,
The Attorney General

Your Excellencies,
We hereby condemn with abhorrence the judicial ‘’crime’ committed in Athens on the 23^rd December 2011, against the Church in the face of Elder Efrem, Abbot of the Great, Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi on the Holy Mountain.

The decision to take Elder Efrem into custody was based on hatred and prejudice. This is manifested in the following:

1. The timing of the decision: Christmas Eve
2. The surrounding of the Holy Mountain by armed police forces despite the declaration by the attorney representing the Elder that the latter intended to present himself to the police willingly.
3. The sentence passed is normally given to people who have the intention to repeat the offenses accused of.
4. During the preliminary hearing the reason given for the sentence was the Elder’s recent trip to Russia, when he accompanied the Holy Belt of the Most Holy Mother of God. During this visit millions of people, including the President, the Prime Minister and the Attorney General of the Russian Republic came out to greet them.
5. The investigation lasted more than three years and no incriminating evidence has been found.
6. The offense which the Elder is accused of is ‘aiding and abetting’ even though the suspects of this offense have been acquitted.
7. During the last three years of the investigation, the Elder has taken numerous trips abroad and if he had intended to leave the country he had plenty of opportunity to do so.
8. The Elder, as a spiritual figure, is honored and praised worldwide and constitutes an excellent envoy for Greece.
9. The people who have been revealed as the masterminds of the conspiracy against him have been honored with ministerial posts and are attempting to cover up their deception at all costs.
10. In Greece, enormous scandals have been uncovered and established while those responsible are not only walking free but are also given political posts.

We are convinced that the decision is a deliberate political act intending to defame the Holy Mountain and the Church.

We call upon you to do the utmost to reverse it.

Yours faithfully,

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You may also sign the petition via the web. Please click here