Greece, Mount Athos – Representatives of the twenty monasteries of the Athonite community issued a joint statement responding to recent commentary in Greek and international media regarding the visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the Holy Mountain.
“The silence of the Athonite Fathers is not indifference nor an indication of agreement or submission, but an expression of Christian ethos,” the monks emphasized, noting that they had conveyed to the Prime Minister their sorrow and concern over recent legislative developments which, they said, “have caused unrest in the conscience of the faithful, as they are seen as a threat to Orthodox ethics.”
In their message, the monastic representatives reflected on the public debate that followed the visit, acknowledging a wide range of reactions—some inquisitive and well-meaning, others marked by suspicion, irony, or anger. “We understand these questions,” they stated, “but we must respond with ecclesial language—humble, discreet, grounded in Tradition, while presenting the truth as it is.”
They stressed that Mount Athos speaks through the spiritual discernment of its Fathers, and even when silent, it does so deliberately. “It is a place of repentance, not denunciation, governed not by the anger of the times, but by the stillness of prayer.”
The monks invoked the apostolic teaching to pray for all those in authority—not just the virtuous—and cited 1 Timothy 2:1–2 along with St. John Chrysostom’s commentary urging prayers even for impious rulers.
The statement clarified that the Prime Minister had been made aware of the monks’ concern regarding laws perceived as harmful to the Orthodox identity and human dignity. A request was also submitted for the Greek government to assist in resolving the legal issue surrounding the Monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai.
On the matter of state financial support, the monks noted that EU funding for Mount Athos infrastructure had already been under discussion since 2023, and no monastery possesses the necessary funds to cover restoration needs without external assistance.
“Mount Athos, affected by time and recent seismic activity, requires care to preserve its buildings and treasures,” the statement concluded. “It remains a place of prayer, unity, and hope for a fragmented and disoriented world.”
FULL STATEMENT
In recent days, we have been following with contemplation the public discussion that arose on the occasion of the recent visit of the Prime Minister of Greece to Mount Athos, with comments that at times express wonder, suspicion, irony, or even anger.
Questions that are emotionally charged, often well-intentioned, but also trapped in a view that is more human than ecclesiastical. We understand these questions.
We do not reject them. However, we must respond with ecclesiastical language, humble, discreet, inspired by Tradition, and at the same time present the reality as it is.
Mount Athos speaks in the manner of the Fathers, with discernment. Even when it is silent, it is not silent randomly. The silence of the Athonite Fathers is neither indifference nor a sign of agreement or submission, but Christian ethos, the way in which the Spirit works: without voices, without public quarrels, but within the mind and the heart.
Mount Athos receives all with discernment and prayer, for it is a place of repentance, not denunciation, where the anger of the age does not dominate, but the stillness of prayer.
The Apostle Paul did not teach us to pray for the moral or righteous rulers, but for all those who hold authority, so that “we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.”
He himself, addressing his disciple Timothy, continues: “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all people, for kings and all who are in authority” (1 Tim. 2:1–2).
Saint John Chrysostom, commenting on the passage, says clearly that in daily worship we pray for the whole world, for the kings, even for the impious (PG 62, 530–531, Homily 6).
This spirit is not weakness, but cruciform strength. Mount Athos shows no favoritism, but prays “for all,” in the faith that God can transform everyone.
Here it is noted that, indeed, bitterness and concern of the Athonite Fathers over the recent legislative acts—which cause anxiety in the conscience of the faithful, as they are seen as a threat to the Orthodox ethos of the Greek people and the value of the human person—was expressed to the Prime Minister, and the wish was stated that a spirit of respect for the spiritual identity of the Nation might prevail.
Also, a special request was submitted that the Greek Government contribute as much as possible to the immediate resolution of the issue that has arisen concerning the Holy Monastery of the God-trodden Mount Sinai.
As for the Prime Minister’s announcement on financial support for the Holy Monasteries, we recall that the funding of EU projects for Mount Athos, with a timeline extending to 2030, has been under study by the competent state authorities since the year 2023.
It is known that no Holy Monastery possesses sufficient financial resources for works of maintenance and restoration, given that the resources of each monastery are barely enough for the livelihood of its monks and the hospitality of visitors.
Mount Athos, due to the wear of time and other extraordinary phenomena—such as recent earthquakes—is in need of care, for the maintenance of its buildings and relics, the heritage it holds alive.
We mention these indicatively for the restoration of the truth, with the assurance that Mount Athos remains a place of prayer, unity, and hope for the modern fragmented and disoriented world.
All the Representatives
of the twenty Holy Monasteries of Mount Athos in common Synaxis
