April 28, 2011
On Pascha Sunday, April 24, 2011, CBS's leading investigative TV magazine, 60 minutes, aired a documentary on Mt. Athos entitled, "The Monks of Mt. Athos." Harry Radliffe and Michael Karzis, (a son of Greek Orthodox immigrants) are the producers of the segment. Correspondent Bob Simon interviewed the monks. The documentary, which was two years in the making, is the first such journalistic filming allowed at Mt. Athos since 1981. Repeated requests for permission were initially turned down by the monks, but at the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the crew was finally allowed to commence. Although the correspondent himself apparently lacks any first-hand, personal knowledge of Orthodox Christianity, the result was sensitive and highly engaging. For those who missed the program on TV, it can be viewed along with several interesting related side-features on the CBS website.
Also aired on public television in a number of states during Holy Week and on Pascha was a shortened version of the film, "The Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer." The film follows the V. Rev. Dr. John McGuckin, an Orthodox priest, and Dr. Norris Chumley as they explore monastic practices of the early Church that have endured for centuries, especially the Jesus Prayer. This "travelogue of the mind and soul" carries them from Egypt to Greece, Romania, Ukraine, and Russia. More information on the film can be found at its website.