PROCLAMATION of Mt. Athos

Introduction by Dr. Kalomiros

The present proclamation of the Holy Mountain, Athos was drawn up immediately after Patriarch Athenagoras met and prayed with Pope Paul in Jerusalem, and was first published in “Agioritiki Bibliotheki”, May-June issue, 1964. pp. 161-164. At that time the Monastery of Simonopetra immediately ceased commemorating the Patriarch at the Divine liturgy. Since then, there have followed many letters, articles, and appeals written by various abbots and monks to the Patriarch, calling upon him to make a clear statement of Faith and to cease from his scandalous statements and actions. The “answer” was the lifting of the Anathemas of 1054 in December, 1965. Thus, today with the exception of a few, all monasteries of the Holy Mountain and all the sketes and hermitages have followed the example of Simonopetra and have ceased commemorating Patriarch Athenagoras in the Divine liturgy, as having apostatized and fallen under the ban of the numerous canons which he has broken.

PROCLAMATION
of the Holy Mountain, Athos,
to the pious Orthodox Greek people and the whole of the Orthodox Church (1964)

The undersigned Fathers of the Holy Mountain, abbots, priest-monks, and monks, learning of the recent machinations and plots against our blameless Orthodox Faith by the Papal insurrection and of the pro-uniate actions and statements of the Ecumenical Patriarch and his co-workers, do proclaim with a stentorian voice that we denounce these uniate tendencies and leanings, and remain steadfast and unshaken in our Orthodox Faith, following all that the godly Prophets prophesied, and the God-proclaiming Apostles, the Assembly of the God-bearing Fathers, the Seven Holy Ecumenical Councils and other Regional Councils taught, having as Head the Chief Cornerstone, Christ our God, and in general adhere to all which our Orthodox Faith teaches either by writ or by Holy Tradition, rejecting “Union” or “Unity” which the pro-uniates propagate of late.

If the Roman Catholics and other heretics wish to return to Orthodoxy, they are free to come and seek the mercy of God, embracing in its entirety the dogmas and Traditions of our blameless Orthodox Faith. It is by no means expedient that we Orthodox should run to them at the expense of Truth. We make an appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch to cease from following his pro-uniate activities, for if he persists we shall disavow him also. We declare beforehand that we shall contend unto our last breath for our Orthodoxy, even shedding our blood if the occasion demands it, imitating our ever-memorable predecessors and crying out with the blessed Joseph Bryennios [Spiritual Father of St. Mark of Ephesus]:

“We shall never renounce you, beloved Orthodoxy!
We shall never betray you, O Reverence of the Fathers!
We shall never abandon you, Mother Piety!
In you were we born;
in you do we live;
and in you shall we repose.
And if the times demand, we shall die a thousand times for you.”

We laud the Venerable Archbishop of the Orthodox Church of Greece and the whole Orthodox Hierarchy of Greece for their strong stance on behalf of Orthodoxy, and we make it known that we stand by their side.

On the Holy Mountain, the 23^rd of January, 1964 (Old Calendar).

The Abbot of Dionysiou, Archimandrite Gabriel, and the brethren in Christ with me.

The Abbot of the Sacred Cenobion of Grigoriou, Archim. Bessarion, and the brethren in Christ with me.

The Abbot of the Sacred Monastery of Simonopetra, Archim. Haralampos.

The Abbot of the Sacred Monastery of Xenophon, Archim. Eudokimos, and the brethren in Christ with me.

The Epitropoi of the Sacred Monastery of Iviron, Elder Agathangelos, Proegoumenos Methodios, Elder Gervasios, Athanasios, Ivirite priestmonk, and all our brotherhood in Christ.

Theoklitos, monk Dionysiates, Hesychasterion of St. Gerasimos.

Gabriel, priestmonk and confessor
Elder Gelasios of Simonopetra
Elder Hesychios, priestmonk of Simonopetra
Elder Neophytos, priestmonk of Simonopetra
The Dikaios of the Sacred Skete of Iviron, Priestmonk Neilos, and the brethren in Christ with me.
Proegoumenos Kosmas of Philotheou, First Epitropos.
Proegoumenos Eumenios of Philotheou signs with his whole heart.
The Secretary of the Sacred Monastery Karakalou, Elder Euthymios, Proistamenos.
The holy hesychast Fathers in Provata.
The Priestmonk of the Russian Kelli of the Precious Cross, Metrophanes.
Sacred Deacon Demetrios and synodia.
Neophytos, priestmonk Agiannanite, and those with me.
Matthias, monk, Skete of the Honorable Forerunner.
Achilleios, monk, Kelli of the Presentation
Hesychios, priestmonk, Skete of St. Anne
Ananias, priestmonk Agiannanite
Anthony, monk Agiannanite;
Cyril, monk
Constantios, priestmonk Agiannanite
John, Averkios, Chrysostom, monks
Symeon, monk;
Andreas, monk Agiannanite
Seraphim Papademetriou, priestmonk Agiannanite
Sabbas, monk Agiannanite;
Dionysios, monk
Euthymios, monk;
Anthony, monk, Kelli of St. Anthony
Cosmas, monk;
Chrysostom, monk
Neophytos the tailor, priestmonk
Seraphim Kartsones, priestmonk, and the brethren with me.
Clement, monk;
Nestor, monk
Anthimos Zapheiropoulos, priestmonk, and the brethren with me
Haralampos, monk, and the brethren with me
Ephraim, priestmonk;
Dionysios, monk
Euthymios, monk;
Gregory, monk
Ioasaph, monk;
Alexios, monk
John, monk;
Nectarios, monk;
Gerontios, monk,
Athanasios and Cyril, monks Agiannanites
Philip, monk, and Nicander, monk, Agiannanites
Modestos, monk Agiannanite
Panaretos, monk Xenophonite
Euthymios, monk;
priestmonk Matthew
Nicodemos, monk;
John, monk, Kelli of St. Panteleimon

NEW SKETE

The Dikaios, Cyril, monk
Constantine Mourtos, monk
Athanasios, monk of Joseph;
Menas Zacharas, monk
Theodosios, monk and synodia;
Anthony, monk
Priestmonk Seraphim;
Andreas, monk
Abramios, monk;
Paul, monk;
Luke, monk
Thomas, sacred deacon;
Silvester, monk
Dorotheos and Procopios;
Hesychios, monk
Mark, monk;
Stephen, monk;
Chrysostom, monk
Eustratios, monk, Hut of the Honorable Forerunner
Hesychasts: Arsenios; monk of Joseph, Priestmonk Haralampos; [Saint] Joseph the Cave-dweller, hermit; Priestmonk Ephraim with my synodia in Christ.
Nicholas, Chrysostom, monks;
Callistos, monk
Theophylactos, monk;
Ananias, monk
Damascene, monk;
Elder Parthenios;
Sabbas, monk
Chrysanthos, priestmonk;
Niphon, monk;
Kallistratos, monk
Elder Gerasimos Papacyril, monk;
Macarios, monk
Ignatios, monk;
Athanasios Papacyril, monk
Athanasios Broules, monk;
Tryphon, monk
Sabbas, monk;
Modestos, monk Agiopetrite.

SACRED SKETE OF THE HOLY TRINITY, KAFSOKALYVIA

Joachim, monk, and synodia
Proegumenos Damian and synodia
Michael, monk, and synodia;
Gabriel, monk
Daniel, monk, with my synodia
Eudokimos, monk, Hut of St. Ioasaph, with all my heart
Panteleimon, monk
John, monk;
Anthony, monk;
Anthony, monk,
Hut of St. John the Theologian, with the synodia.
Basil, monk,
Kelli of the Entrance
Luke, monk,
Kelli of the Holy Apostles
Eugenios, monk
Stephen, monk
Michael, monk
Symeon and his synodia
Hierotheos, monk
Priestmonk Nicodemos,
[Saint] Paisius, monk;
Anthimos, monk
Anthony, monk, Hut of the Righteous Fathers
Esaias, monk
Elder Isidore, monk, and synodia
Seraphim, monk
Haralampos, monk
Cosmas Stavroudas, monk
David, monk
Gerasimos, monk;
Nectarios, confessor;
Joachim, monk
Hesychasterion of St. Euthymios at St. Neilos
Anthony, Methodios, monks of St. Neilos
Demetrios, monk, the incense-maker;
Joachim, monk
Elder Sophronios, monk;
Theophylactos, monk
James, monk, Gregorite
And many others.