Abbot Ephraim gives his first interview after acquittal

Where there is God, there is sorrow and the Cross. This is not the first time that the Church and the Holy Mountain have been subjected to trials, said Archimandrite Ephraim, the abbot of the Vatopedi Monastery on Mt. Athos, in his first interview following his recent acquittal, reports Pravoslavie.RU with reference to Agionoros.

In the interview, Archimandrite Ephraim offers his thoughts on the case, involving a land exchange between the Greek government and Vatopedi Monastery, and the continuous and severe spiritual struggle that takes place on Mt. Athos.

“Where there is God, there is sorrow and the Cross,” the abbot said. “This is not the first time that the Church and the Holy Mountain have been subjected to trials. If you look at history you will see that it has always been this way. Mt. Athos is a place of spiritual and bodily asceticism, not a place for complacency,” he noted. This asceticism is the bearing of one’s own cross in imitation of the Cross of the Lord, which is often manifested as sorrow. This is “the necessary price that people pay to experience their faith and to have hope in the resurrection,” which comes from the continuous struggle for inner transformation and the acquisition of virtues.

“Externally the struggle is difficult, but it leads a man towards the attainment of the supernatural peace of Christ… Only God decides how and when we will be tested,” Abbot Ephraim continued, reflecting upon the years of struggle in the legal case and his time in jail connected with the case. Athos is always confronted with the shortcomings of the world, he said, “But for all that happens, we glorify God.”

Speaking about the future of the monastery, Archimandrite Ephraim said that Vatopedi’s spiritual and charitable activity did not wane during these recent difficult years of state persecution, but has in fact increased significantly. “Our monastery follows the tradition and performs the work that our predecessors did,” he added.