EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). Turkey announced that it will not allow a celebration at Panagia Soumela of Pontos tomorrow, August 15. A liturgy will be allowed on August 23.
The historic Panagia Soumela Monastery in Pontos was closed in 1923 and reopened in 2010 thanks to an intervention by Greek-Russian businessman Ivan Savvides to President Vladimir Putin. Putin called Pres. Erdogan, and Turkey permitted the re-opening of the Monastery. It was the most significant advancement of the Patriarchate’s religious freedom in 100 years. Where are the “Archons of Disaster”, our “Lobbyists” and above all the State Department? For the past fifty years, they have been unable to re-open the Halki Seminary!! And recently they watched Hagia Sophia and Moni tis Horas turn into mosques! Yet, some among us still believe that “America” is protecting the Patriarchate!! Let me put it simply: These things would have never happened if the Patriarchate had normal relations with Moscow (not friendly, just normal). Why? Because there is nobody that can instill pure unadulterated fear in the Turkish soul more than the Russians. The two nations had countless wars between them over the last 300 years and in almost all of them the Russians beat the Turks quite badly…
BELOW THE ICON OF PANAGIA SOUMELA
HERE IS THE NEWS FROM SLPRESS.GR
Following a decision by the Turkish authorities, permission was not given for the celebration of divine liturgy at Panagia Soumela on the fifteenth of August, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. On the contrary, permission was given for the celebration of divine liturgy on Friday, August 23, the day of the feast of the Nine Days of the Virgin Mary.
This was announced by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, adding that “the Metropolitan of Kalliopolis and Madytos Mr. Stefanos will celebrate the liturgy for the Presentation of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary”.
It is recalled that last year the celebration of Panagia Soumela took place in an overcast atmosphere, on August 15, with the faithful arriving at the Holy Monastery from the morning to worship the icon of Magalochari, created by the Evangelist Luke.
The “archons’ who are supposed to “protect the patriarchate” are paper tigers, prone to big words, money and time wasting meetings, while they praise one another for not accomplishing anything. The Archbishop, who loves to travel and stay at the Ritz at $1300 per night, at the expense of us, the stewards, who has never visited the poor and hungry, who has never lost an opportunity to mingle with the rich, who has filed one law suit and threatened two others. who offers smiles, but hides insecurities, who is filling time until the patriarch either dies or resigns, so he can take his place, who uses his post in America as a stepping stone for more glitter, is a poor choice to lead the faithful of America.
Erdogan will do what he wants. The archons have no power over him. America will not waste her time to “protect” a church which counts all of 4 million adherents. Remember, the patriarchate boasts 300 million followers, but the truth is that the Greeks of the diaspora are its only flock.
As for Russia, I wouldn’t be surprised if Putin goaded Erdogan not to allow the celebration at Panagia Soumela. Its a way of getting back at the patriarchate.
What would happen if some entrepreneurs responded by converting several inactive mosques in Greece and other traditional Christian countries, to museums, cinemas, nightclubs or into apartments for low-income housing? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodoxy_by_country
List of mosques in Greece
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mosques_in_Greece
How many inactive mosques are in Europe today?
Example: The “Tashkyopryu Mosque is currently inactive despite efforts and demands, mainly by Turks of Bulgaria, to give active status for it.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tashkopryu_Mosque
List of former mosques in Spain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_former_mosques_in_Spain