ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΠΡΩΤΟΤΥΠΟ ΚΕΙΜΕΝΟ ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΕΙ
By Archbishop Nikiforos of Ascalon
The Holy Monastery of St. Catherine of Sinai is autonomous and independent and is not subject to any authority other than the Orthodox Church.
The only dependence and relationship it maintains with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem is spiritual and honorary. It is a special blessing for the Archbishop of Sinai—who is elected by the Sinai Brotherhood—to be ordained at the Holy Sepulchre. It is also a great honor for the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood to ordain the Archbishop of Sinai. From the earliest years of the Monastery’s operation, many Hagiotaphites, after venerating the Holy Places, took refuge in the monasteries of the Jordan Desert, and some continued on to Sinai—first as pilgrims, then as monks. A few of these Hagiotaphites eventually became Archbishops of Sinai. The Monastery has no other dependence, apart from the mutual spiritual relationships shared by all the local Churches.
The Archbishop of Sinai, who is also the Abbot of the Monastic Brotherhood, is elected by the Brotherhood of Sinai and is subject to the Monastery’s own regulations. The irony, however, is that from the very day of their election, most Archbishops become absolute monarchs, exploiting the special conditions that prevail in monasteries. The monks of the Monastery of Sinai end up as virtual slaves, their standing entirely dependent on the “favor” of the Abbot-Archbishop. It is unacceptable that those who elect him are not later recognized as having the right to denounce his abuses—a situation that unfortunately echoes the wider reality of Bishops who, after swearing oaths, become dictators with often disastrous consequences for the Church.
Sadly, this same dynamic prevails throughout the other Orthodox Churches—the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchates of Alexandria and Jerusalem, the Church of Greece, and the Archdiocese of Cyprus. Unity is sorely lacking.
For this reason, I do not expect Patriarch Theophilos to play a positive role in the request of the Sinai Fathers, barring a miracle. Patriarch Theophilos has effectively dissolved the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood and has ruled as a dictator since the day of his election. Any Hagiotaphite clergyman—even members of the Holy Synod—who dares to voice protest is summarily dismissed: without being called to testify, without charges, without the opportunity to defend themselves, and ultimately without even knowing the reason for their punishment.
We say: “in one house, not in one city”—and it is true. But what can be done when no other path exists for resolving disputes, as is increasingly the case today? Should we simply tolerate the arbitrariness of every dictator—Patriarch or otherwise?
Archbishop Nikiforos of Ascalon
www.archbishopnikiphoros.com (in this website you can read more and see a biography of the Archbishop)
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Η Αυτονομία του Σινά και η Κρίση του Εκκλησιαστικού Αυταρχισμού
Του Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀσκάλωνος Νικηφόρου
Ἡ Ἱερὰ Μονή Ἁγίας Αἰκατερίνης Σινὰ εἶναι Αὐτόνομος καὶ Ἀνεξάρτητη καὶ δὲν ὑπάγεται πουθενὰ παρὰ μόνο στὴν Ὀρθόδοξο Ἐκκλησία.
Ἡ μόνη ἐξάρτηση καὶ σχέση ποὺ ἔχει μὲ τὸ Πατριαρχεῖο Ἱεροσολύμων εἶναι πνευματικὴ καὶ τιμητική. Εἶναι ἰδιαίτερη εὐλογία ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος τοῦ Σινὰ, ὁ ὁποῖος ἐκλέγεται ἀπὸ τὴν Σιναϊτικὴ Ἀδελφότητα, νὰ χειροτονεῖται στὸν Πανάγιο Τάφο, καὶ εἶναι μεγάλη τιμὴ γιὰ τὴν Ἁγιοταφιτική Ἀδελφότητα νὰ χειροτονῆ τὸν Ἁρχιεπίσκοπο Σινᾶ. Ἐπίσης εἶναι γνωστὸ ὅτι ἀπὸ τὰ πρώτα χρόνια τῆς λειτουργίας τῆς Μονῆς, δέχονταν πολλοὺς Ἁγιοταφῖτες οἱ ὁποῖοι, ἀφοῦ προσκυνούσαν τοὺς Ἁγίους Τόπους, κατέφευγαν στὰ Μοναστήρια τῆς Ἐρήμου τοῦ Ἱορδάνου καὶ μερικοὶ ἔφταναν στὸ Σινὰ, πρῶτον γιὰ προσκύνημα καὶ γιὰ νὰ μονάσουν ἐκεῖ. Μερικοὶ ὰπὸ τοὺς Ἁγιοταφῖτες αὐτοὺς ἔγιναν Ἀρχιεπίσκοποι Σινᾶ. Δὲν ἔχει καμιά ἄλλη ἐξάρτηση ἀπὸ ὁπουδήποτε παρὰ μόνο αὐτὴν ποὺ ἔχουν ὅλες οἱ τοπικὲς Ἐκκλησίες μεταξὺ τους.
Ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Σινᾶ, ὁ ὁποῖος εἶναι ταυτόχρονα καὶ ὁ Ἡγούμενος τῆς Μοναχικῆς Ἀδελφότητας, ἐκλέγεται ἀπὸ τὴν Ἀδελφότητα τοῦ Σινᾶ, καὶ ὑπόκειται στοὺς κανονισμοὺς τῆς Μονῆς. Ἡ εἰρωνεία εἶναι ὅτι, δυστυχῶς, οἱ περισσότεροι, ἀπὸ τὴν ἡμέρα τῆς ἐκλογῆς τους, γίνονται ἀπόλυτοι Μονάρχες, ἐκμεταλευόμενοι τὶς ἰδιαίτερες συνθῆκες ποὺ ἐπικρατοῦν στὰ μοναστήρια γενικὰ, καὶ οἱ Ἀδελφοὶ τῆς Μονῆς τοῦ Σινὰ γίνονται δοῦλοι τους καὶ ἡ θέση τους στὴν Μονή ἐξαρτᾶται ἀπολύτως ἀπὸ τὴν «εὔνοια» τοῦ Ἡγουμένου – Ἀρχιεπισκόπου. Εἶναι ἀπαράδεκτο τὸ γεγονὸς ὅτι σὲ αὐτοὺς οἱ ὁποῖοι τὸν ἐκλέγουν, μετὰ τὴν ἐκλογή, δὲν τοὺς ἀναγνωρίζεται, (αὐταρχικὰ), τὸ δικαίωμα νὰ καταγγέλλουν τὶς παρεκτροπὲς του, ὅπως δυστυχῶς συμβαίνει καὶ μὲ ὄλους τοὺς Ἐπισκόπους οἱ ὁποῖοι παραβαίνουν τοὺς ὅρκους τους καὶ ἀπὸ Καθηγούμενοι γίνονται δικτάτορες μὲ καταστροφικὰ γιὰ τὴν Ἐκκλησία ἀποτελέσματα.
Δυστυχῶς ἡ ἴδια κατάσταση ἐπικρατεῖ καὶ στὶς ἄλλες Ὀρθόδοξες Ἐκκλησίες, τὸ Οὶκουμενικὸ Πατριαρχεῖο, τὰ Πατριαρχεία Ἀλεξανδρείας καὶ Ἱεροσολύμων, τὴν Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλᾶδος, τὴν Ἀρχιεπισκοπὴ Κύπρου καὶ δὲν συμαζεύεται.
Γιὰ τὸν λόγο αὐτὸν δὲν περιμένω ἀπὸ τὸν Πατριάρχη Θεόφιλο νὰ διαδραματήση θετικὸ ρόλο στὴν παράκληση τῶν Σιναϊτῶν Πατέρων, ἐκτὸς ἀπροόπτου. Ὁ Πατριάρχης Θεόφιλος ἔχει κυριολεκτικὰ δυαλύσει τὴν Ἁγιοταφιτικὴ Ἀδελφότητα καὶ λειτουργεῖ σὰν δικτάτορας ἀπὸ τὴν ἡμέρα τῆς ἐκλογῆς του καὶ ὅποιος Ἁγιοταφίτης Κληρικὸς, ἀκόμη καὶ τὰ μέλη τῆς Ἱερᾶς Συνόδου τοῦ Πατριαρχείου, ἐκφράσει διαμαρτυρία, καθαιρεῖται μὲ συνοπτικὴ διαδικασία, χωρὶς νὰ κληθῆ σὲ ἀπολογία, χωρίς νὰ τοῦ ἀπαγγελθῆ καμιὰ κατηγορία, χωρὶς νὰ τοῦ δοθῆ ἡ εὐκαιρεία νὰ ἀπολογηθῆ καὶ τέλος χωρὶς νὰ τοῦ δοθῆ ἡ ἀπόφαση τῆς τιμωρίας του, χωρὶς δηλαδὴ νὰ ξέρη γιατὶ τὸν τιμώρησε.
Λέμε: «τὰ έν οἴκω μη ἐν δῆμω», καὶ εἶναι πολύ σωστὸ. Τὶ μπορεῖ ὅμως νὰ γίνη ὅταν δὲν ὐπάρχη ἄλλος τρόπος γιὰ νὰ λυθῆ κάποια διαφορᾶ ὅπως, δυστυχῶς, συμβαίνει σήμερα παντοῦ; Θὰ πρέπη νὰ ἀνεχόμαστε τὶς αὐθαιρεσίες τοῦ κάθε δικτάτορα, Πατριάρχου ἤ ἄλλου;
Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Ἀσκάλωνος Νικηφόρος
www.archbishopnikiphoros.com (in this website you can read more and see a biography of the Archbishop)
