The Archbishop of Cyprus in favour of ending the occupation of the Esphigmenou Monastery

The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Esphigmenou on Mount Athos, Archimandrite Bartholomew, was received by His Beatitude Archbishop George of Cyprus, at the Archdiocesan Palace in Nicosia on Monday, 9 September 2024, during a four-day visit to Cyprus.

The Archbishop of Cyprus expressed his deep sorrow over the continued occupation of the central building complex of the Esfigmenos Monastery on Mount Athos, as well as the obstruction of the implementation of lawful decisions by various parties acting in their self-interest.

The Archbishop of Cyprus stressed the urgent need for an immediate end to the occupation for the sake of Mount Athos and the Orthodox Church as a whole. He also stressed the need for the faithful to remain vigilant against the danger of propaganda by the occupiers of the Monastery, whose aim is to draw them away from the Eastern Orthodox Church and convert them to the religious community to which they belong (“Church of the True Orthodox Christians of Greece”), using religious fanaticism as a means.

Finally, the Archbishop of Cyprus informed the Abbot of the Monastery and his entourage of the challenges facing the Church and Cyprus in general. He also asked them to pray on Mount Athos for himself, the Church of Cyprus, and the people of Cyprus.