New administration at Mount Athos – Great Lavra Monastery takes the helm
“With order and Athonite solemnity,” as the monks describe it, the change of the Holy Administration of Mount Athos took place earlier on Saturday morning, 14 June 2025, at the Protaton Church in Karyes, Mt Athos.
The outgoing Chief Administrator, Symeon from Dionysiou Monastery, formally passed the responsibilities to Elder Abraham from the Monastery of Great Lavra. The new Holy Administration is composed of hieromonks Chariton from the Docheiariou Monastery, Sisoes from the Xenophontos Monastery, and Gabriel from the Esphigmenou Monastery.
The ceremony was brief and solemn, in keeping with the typikon, as this is considered an internal administrative affair, according to sources.
The government was represented by the Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Giannis Kefalogiannis. Also in attendance were Konstantinos Gioulekas, Deputy Minister of Interior responsible for Macedonia and Thrace and president of the Centre for the Preservation of Athonite Heritage (KEDAK); Stelios Angeloudis, Mayor of Thessaloniki and president of the Mount Athos Society; the Civil Administrator of Mount Athos, Alkiviadis Stefanis, along with his deputy, Aristos Kasmiroglou; as well as other officials from Mount Athos. Dimitris Natsios, president of the political party “Niki,” was also present.
During the reception following the ceremony, discussions included the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Mount Athos, scheduled for next month. The most probable date is Friday, 4 July 2025, with the Prime Minister expected to spend 24 hours in the monastic state.
It has been announced that Greek PM Mitsotakis will overnight at the guesthouse of the Holy Community in Karyes to receive additional representatives from the monasteries. However, the details of the visit are expected to be finalised in the coming days, depending on developments in the Middle East.
The tenure of the Holy Administration is annual, with its first meeting scheduled for the afternoon, focusing primarily on procedural matters.
Source: voria.gr
