More recent comments by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
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​March 22, 2022  
“Να εφαρμοστούν οι αποφάσεις των ελληνικών δικαστηρίων το ταχύτερον δυνατόν.”
(“That the decisions of the Greek courts be enforced as soon as possible.”) voria.gr+12romfea.gr+12skai.gr+12

April 2022
“Να εκκενωθεί από την σχισματική αδελφότητα.”
(“To be evacuated from the schismatic brotherhood.”) orthodoxia.info

March 2023
“Η επίλυση του προβλήματος Εσφιγμένου θα είναι επ’ αγαθώ πάντων.”
(“The resolution of the Esphigmenou problem will be for the good of all.”) orthodoxianewsagency.gr+14skai.gr+14iefimerida.gr+14

April 5, 2024
“είναι πράγματι προκλητικόν και απογοητευτικόν … ανεφάρμοστες και ανεκτέλεστες … ενός κράτους δικαίου …”
(“…it is truly provocative and disappointing … unenforced and unexecuted … by a rule-of-law state…”) esphigmenou.gr

April 14, 2024 (video)
“Ξανά στο Άγιον Όρος μόνο για την Μονή Εσφιγμένου.”
(“Again to Mount Athos only for the Monastery of Esphigmenou.”) youtube.com+8youtube.com+8emakedonia.gr+8

September 17, 2024
“…η Μονή Εσφιγμένου […] είναι μία πληγή στο σώμα του … Αγίου Όρους, της κανονικής τάξεως της εκκλησίας.”
(“…the Monastery of Esphigmenou […] is a wound on the body of … Mount Athos, of the canonical order of the Church.”) esphigmenou.gr+1emakedonia.gr+1

November 8, 2024
“Η κατάσταση στο Άγιον Όρος δεν είναι ευχάριστη.”
(“The situation on Mount Athos is not pleasant.”) romfea.gr

October 29, 2024
​Although not a direct quote, the Patriarch received the abbot of Esphigmenou at the Phanar, underlining his ongoing concern and dialogue emakedonia.gr+14orthodoxianewsagency.gr+14m.facebook.com+14.

Article 105 of the Greek Constitution: Sacred Autonomy and State Responsibility

The legal and spiritual autonomy of Mount Athos is enshrined in Article 105 of the Greek Constitution, which declares:
“Mount Athos… is an autonomous part of the Greek State… under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate… No schismatics or heterodox may reside there.”
This unique constitutional clause obligates the Greek government to:

• Preserve Mount Athos's spiritual integrity,
• Enforce the decisions of the Holy Community,
• Prevent unauthorized or schismatic presence within its borders.

Yet despite repeated court rulings in favor of the canonical (new) brotherhood and eviction orders issued against the schismatics, the Greek authorities have not taken decisive action—prompting frustration from both the Ecumenical Patriarch and the lawful monks.

Greek Government Inaction: “A Breach of Constitutional Duty”

Multiple statements from the canonical Esphigmenou brotherhood accuse the Greek Civil Governor of Athos and the Ministry of Citizen Protection of violating their responsibilities under Article 105:
“The government refuses to act… The illegality is galloping, due to the complete inaction of the current administration… in violation of Article 105 of the Greek Constitution.”
— Esphigmenou Brotherhood Statement, May 2023

“We denounce the Greek state’s indifference… toward its duty under the Charter of Mount Athos [Article 105].”
— Public statement, August 2023
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These charges have not been publicly refuted with detailed legal justification by the Greek authorities, nor has the government offered a timeline or mechanism for enforcing the rulings. Instead, officials have cited political caution, the difficulty of intervening in Mount Athos, and sometimes even electoral timing as reasons for delay.

Conclusion: Toward Liberation and Healing

As the Holy Mountain nears a quarter-century of this unprecedented internal division, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s recent comments reveal both urgency and sorrow. His call is not merely legalistic—it is spiritual and pastoral:
“This is not merely a legal problem. It is a wound—upon the Athonite body, upon the heart of Orthodoxy, and upon the very nature of ecclesial communion.” His remarks echo a profound desire to liberate Mount Athos not just physically, but spiritually, restoring unity, discipline, and holiness to this sacred peninsula. Whether the Greek state will rise to meet its constitutional and moral obligations remains to be seen.

Mount Athos, the thousand-year bastion of Orthodox monasticism, is once again under siege—not from foreign invaders, but from Greece itself. A group of pseudo-monastics led by the defrocked and canonically condemned Methodius Papalamprakopoulos has entrenched itself illegally, upon this hallowed ground, flouting both ecclesiastical authority and civil law. Cloaked in the illusion of spiritual resistance, these squatters engage in actions that are neither ascetic nor Orthodox. Their continued occupation of the holy grounds of the ancient and historic monastery of Esphigmenou and its Konaki (Representative House) in Karyes, the capital of Mt Athos, is not an act of piety but one of defiance—a rebellion against the very canonical and legal foundations that safeguard the integrity of the Holy Mountain.

The tragedies befalling Orthodox Christian heritage are not confined to the distant past; they persist in our present, often under the guise of political expediency. The cases of Soumela and Esphigmenou Monasteries stand as stark reminders of the ongoing plight of Orthodoxy in its historic heartlands—Greece and Turkey, the cradle of Christian civilization.
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Both Soumela and Esphigmenou Monasteries are masterpieces of Orthodox Christian architecture and spiritual life, with origins tracing back to the early centuries of the Church. Soumela was founded in the 4th century by Theodosius I, and Esphigmenou was established in the 5th century by Theodosius II. These monasteries have witnessed the ebb and flow of history, surviving through periods of great turmoil and change.

​In the Hellenic Orthodox tradition, a true "zealot" upholds the teachings of the Church with unwavering dedication, always guided by humility, love, and a deep commitment to unity within the Body of Christ’s Great Church. Such an Orthodox person does not resort to deception, threats, violence, or pride in any measure. Instead, they embody the spirit of Orthodox Christianity, preserving the Church's sacred canons while fostering unity within Christ's Great Church.

​Emerging from the secluded corridors of a remote monastery on Mount Athos, a satanic figure stands out amidst the gentle and prayerful monks—Methodios. This imposter monk has perverted the sacred traditions of Orthodox Christianity, turning them into tools of division and fear. Unlike his peaceful counterparts, Methodios Papalambrakopoulos is a militant pseudo-monastic thug driven by a distorted vision of Orthodoxy.

​Mount Athos, a historic bastion of Orthodox monasticism under the omophorion of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, stands as a living testament to two millennia of unwavering faith, self-discipline, and spiritual dedication. This revered site, known worldwide, is currently facing a threat—not from external forces, but from a group of impostors posing as Orthodox monks. These individuals, through their unlawful seizure of historic monastery buildings, are desecrating the sanctity and heritage of Mount Athos, a place of unparalleled historical significance that cannot be overstated. Relevant authorities must undertake this issue with the seriousness it demands and remedy the failure of the host nation, the Hellenic Republic, to fulfill its constitutional obligations. 
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Στο σημερινό τοπίο των ελληνικών πολιτικών θεατρινισμών, τα περιθωριακά κόμματα συναγωνίζονται για επιρροή. Δεν είναι ασυνήθιστο να βλέπουμε πολιτικούς να εκμεταλλεύονται τα θρησκευτικά συναισθήματα για να προωθήσουν τις ατζέντες τους. Ένα πρόσφατο αποθαρρυντικό θέαμα είναι η σειρά απερίσκεπτων σχολίων ενός Έλληνα πολιτικού, του Κυριάκου Βελόπουλου, ο οποίος βγήκε στην τηλεόραση, διαδίδοντας ψέματα και διαστρεβλώσεις σχετικά με την εκκλησιολογία της Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας, με το δηλητήριό του να επικεντρώνεται κυρίως στο Άγιο Όρος και το Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο. Αυτή η ξεδιάντροπη σχισματική «παλαιοημερολογίτικη» εκστρατεία παραπληροφόρησης όχι μόνο υπονομεύει τις ιερές παραδόσεις της Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας, αλλά οι διπρόσωποι εταίροι του έχουν ιδιαίτερη οργή για να αμαυρώσουν τη φήμη του Παναγιωτάτου Οικουμενικού Πατριάρχη Βαρθολομαίου, ενός σεβαστού πνευματικού ηγέτη του οποίου η δέσμευση στην ορθόδοξη ενότητα, ειρήνη και διατήρηση της Ορθοδοξίας παραμένει απαράμιλλη. Ωστόσο, αυτό το τρολ καταπίνει με χαρά τους νόμιμους ηγέτες που επεξεργάζονται την ιδιοτελή πολιτική τους.

​In the current landscape of Greek political theatrics, fringe parties jostle for influence; it is not uncommon to witness politicians exploiting religious sentiments to further their agendas. One recent demoralizing spectacle is the series of ill-advised remarks made by a Greek politician, Kyriakos Velopoulos, who has taken to television, spreading lies and distortions about the Orthodox church’s ecclesiology, with his venom mainly focused on Mount Athos and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This brazen schismatic “Old-calendarist” campaign of misinformation not only undermines the sacred traditions of the Orthodox Church but his duplicitous partners have specific ire to tarnish the reputation of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, a revered spiritual leader whose commitment to Orthodox unity, peace, and the preservation of Orthodoxy remains unparalleled. Yet this troll gleefully engulfs legitimate leaders working out their self-serving politics.