Moscow, June 28, 2017
Photo: Basilica.ro The Romanian Prodromou (St. John the Forerunner) Skete on Mt. Athos has issued a communiqué clarifying its stance in regards to the mountain’s ruling hierarch, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, denying that it has ceased commemorating his name in the Divine services, reports the Basilica News Agency. The monastery’s message comes in response to reports circulating in mass media that the brotherhood had ceased commemorating the patriarch following last year’s Crete Council.
Prodromou Skete is one of two Romanian establishments on the Holy Mountain (the other being Lakkoskiti), belonging to the Great Lavra Monastery. It is located in the eastern extremity of the mountain. Romanian monastics initially received a blessing and the necessary documents to found the monastery in 1820, although its progress was interrupted by the Greek Revolution. Two Romanian monks bought the Prodroumou cell back from the Greeks in 1851, and the building of the skete’s church began in 1857. It is currently home to 25 monks, according to Wikipedia.
The message begins by stating that much disinformation has been circulating about the skete, especially on the internet, and thus it is necessary to make several clarifications.
“The commemoration of the name of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has never been interrupted in the skete,” the communiqué reads, adding, “The monastic community has never [even] raised the question of interrupting the commemoration of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.” The brotherhood, under the abbot Archimandrite Athanasios, also states that they have not been coerced in any way, but freely continue to commemorate the patriarch.
According to various sources, 50 monks laboring at the Romanian skete had unanimously voted to cease commemorating the Ecumenical Patriarch in response to the Crete Council in June of last year. Supposedly, upon reporting their decision to their ruling monastery, the Great Lavra, the abbot became so incensed that he removed the current leadership of the skete. It was further reported that Metropolitan Andrew of Cluj of the Romanian Orthodox Church was sent to the skete to get acquainted with the situation, but the brotherhood told him they could not accept him if he did not reject the Crete Council as heretical.
The skete further states in its message that any monks claiming to be from the skete and participating in meetings that encourage non-commemoration do not truly represent the brotherhood and attend without a blessing. The brotherhood is “deeply concerned” about how the name of Prodromou Skete is being used today.
The message also denies that five monks of the skete, who separated themselves from the liturgical life of the monastery, have been sequestered, penanced, persecuted, or subjected to pressure, but rather, it reads, they have been show great economia and “have been directed on the path to salvation according to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, in accordance with the sacred canons of the Orthodox Church and with the rules of monastic life.” However, the monks continue to live apart from obedience to the monastery, the message states.
The communiqué ends with the brotherhood expressing its “deep sorrow for the discord that has recently appeared in the life of the Church, which, with more wisdom and prayer, could have been avoided,” and asks that only official documents bearing the skete’s seal and the abbot’s signature be taken as authoritative.
