[Diandaplaipsy]

I am sure that persecution of Archimandrite Ephraim is a precursor of things to come. Modern Western society - of which Greece now is part - is becoming increasingly anti-Christian. The ruling classes of the West gradually tighten their grip on our throats. The godless rulers of the EU hate Mount Athos and what it stands for. They want to kill it spiritually, to turn it into a vulgar tourist attraction. The horrible slander and judicial persecution of a venerable Athonite elder reminds me of how Russian bolsheviks treated St Patriarch Tikhon. I do not know what will happen to Father Ephraim here on earth, but I am sure that in the Kingdom of Heaven he will be one of the confessors or martyrs for Jesus Christ, a great luminary. We should fear not so much for him, for he is a citizen of Heaven, but for ourselves. What will we do, what will our children do, when anti-Christian forces start persecuting us, rank-and-file Orthodox parishioners?
Will we stand this test? They are targeting our leaders today, but tomorrow they may come for us.

i think you should change the above underlined sentence to:
"They are targeting our leaders today, but tomorrow they WILL come for us."

[InsManKV]

I would add that, as Christians we should pray for the persecutors of Father Ephraim, for example for the investigator in the case (is her name Irene?). They are also God's creatures, albeit misguided ones, and they are causing great harm to their souls, putting themselves in danger of eternal torment. Let us pray for them to repent. They do deserve our compassion, for they are doing themselves greater harm than any harm they can cause to Father Ephraim.

[pprropeciaaa]

Doxa ton Theo! Glory to God! Finally, an end to the slanderous and scandalous jail time of Geronta Ephraim of Vatopedi Monastery, Mt. Athos!

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w...03/2012_435333

[Diandaplaipsy]

Cant belive he was in jail all this time! its truly disgracefull.

[InsManKV]

God has shown His mercy to Father Ephraim! But let us keep him in our prayers for he has not yet been acquitted. His persecutors can put him back behind bars. Let us also pray for his persecutors to be converted and repent of the evil they have done.

I would add that Orthodox people in Russia are grateful to Father Ephraim for bringing the belt of the Theotokos to this country. May God bless him and the whole of Mount Athos!

[pprropeciaaa]

God has shown His mercy to Father Ephraim! But let us keep him in our prayers for he has not yet been acquitted. His persecutors can put him back behind bars. Let us also pray for his persecutors to be converted and repent of the evil they have done.

I would add that Orthodox people in Russia are grateful to Father Ephraim for bringing the belt of the Theotokos to this country. May God bless him and the whole of Mount Athos!

Yes, you are so right Anton--we should try also to pray for these persecutors. Lord have mercy on them! Please Lord convert their hardened hearts and unenlightened souls.

It was such a beautiful gesture of Geronta Ephraim to bring the belt of the Theotokos to Russia. Surely the evil one despised this move, and wanted to destroy him for it...but he will never succeed. May God bless the Holy Mountain and bless Russia!

[Pjayjukr]

Prisoner Sends Letter of Thanks to Elder Ephraim

April 3, 2012
Pemptousia.gr

A big thank you and many criticisms were sent by many of the detainees in the sixth ward of Korydallou.

A prisoner, Anthony Papadatos, representing the sixth ward of prisoners in the prison of Korydallos, wrote a letter in which they express their gratitude to the Elder Ephraim and thanked God that He brought him near them!

The letter indicated the problems faced by prisoners, including a large overcrowding which leads to cubicles/cells with even 25 prisoners inside, and on the health conditions they say where the risk of transmitting diseases such as typhoid, cholera and tuberculosis is high.

Below is the letter:

With this letter we want to publicly thank the Elder Ephraim, who stood beside us as our father with love, understanding and peace that he gave us all during this time.

In short and and to the point, despite the poor conditions in Korydallos, a prison that does not fit over 800 prisoners and today has surpassed 2500, who consistently sleep over each other in cells, rooms with 25 people inside, along with an army of roaches and mice and cats that have typhus, in the cold without heating in mold-damaged walls from moisture that were built 50 years ago, eating food you should not feed your dogs, and bathing with cold water, we shout that there is a God and we thank Him that He brought us the Elder Ephraim to support us psychologically with his attitude and each individually with his paternal affection.

P.S. Truthfully, the Elder came himself to prison to help us at a time when the state is nonexistent for us even though he came as a prisoner???

Are the judges so brainless that they saw him up close and sent this man to Korydallos?? What a sin ... (as we learned from the Elder to say ...)

Prisoner Anthony Papadatos and the entire sixth ward of Korydallos.

Translated by John Sanidopoulos

http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2012...thanks-to.html

[pprropeciaaa]

Thank you for printing this, Kusanagi. I had read it in Greek this morning and it brought tears to my eyes. May the love of God, which Geronta Ephraim brought to Anthony and other inmates, remain with them, strengthen them, and help them. Amen.

I read somewhere else (in Greek) that Geronta Ephraim said that his incarceration was a gift from the Panaghia--there was no elaboration.

[InsManKV]

A bit off-topic: I am surprised that conditions in a Greek prison are that bad. It looks like a Russian or some other post-Soviet institution, as far as I can judge.

Well, perhaps God has really allowed Father Ephraim to be put into this prison because some of the prisoners really needed his love and guidance.

[Pjayjukr]

The Greek Areopag (Supreme Court) has cancelled the decision of the appellate court of Thrace, which on March 1, 2012 sentenced Archimandrite Ephraim and monk Arseny of Vatopedi Monastery on Mt. Athos and presiding judge of the court of first instance Maria Psalti to six months imprisonment, the sentence being commuted for three years.

Each of these named persons has been acquitted of the accusation of delaying the public announcement of the court decision concerning the exchange of monastery property on Lake Vistonida. The Areopag has decided that Maria Psalti did not violate her judicial duty, and Archimandrite Ephraim and monk Arseny did not incite her to such action, reports Аgionoros.ru, citing Naftemporiki.gr.