From left: Fr. Panagiotes Karathanasis, Fr. Panagiotes Carras, Metropolitan Gerontios of Salamis (later of Piraeus and Salamis), Fr. Akakios Ntouskos (later Metropolitan of Montreal), Archbishop Auxentios of Athens, Bishop Petros of Astoria, Fr. Antonios Thanasis (later Metropolitan of Megara), Deacon (later Priest) Fr. Alexander Dizes.
In the Church (now Cathedral) of St. Nektarios, Toronto, Canada, in the summer of 1971.
By Metropolitan Gerontios of Piraeus and Salamina [1]
Delivered (in Greek) on September 14, 2018 (Old Style), at
the Holy Church of the Theotokos of Prousa, Athens, Greece, named for
the Mother of God Prousiotissa, an Icon of the Virgin Mary painted, according
to tradition, by St. Luke the Evangelist.
Your Grace, Bishop Clement of Gardikion,
Honorable Presbyters, Venerable Deacons,
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This is a special day for our Martyric Church. Ninety-three years
have passed since the blessed day of the miraculous occurrence of the third
Appearance of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross at the Holy Monastery of St.
John the Theologian at Hymettos. [2] It was an affirmation from on high of the
confession of Faith of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece.
It was an event that has come to be a confirmatory seal on the
just struggle of all those who resisted the Church calendar reform in 1924; of
those who remained faithful to the Sacred Canons of the Holy Fathers,
preserving unchanged their Orthodox mindset.
It was a seal for those Christians who did not hesitate to
preserve their faith steadfastly, even though they were aware that their
opposition to the innovative views of the State Church would bring them face to
face with ferocious persecutions.
From 1924, and for many decades thereafter, the comfort and ease
that we enjoy today were not to be had. In those days, it was not possible for
the genuine Christians to express themselves freely, as we do today. Yesterday’s
Christians were under persecution. They sought out ways in which they could
fulfill their religious duties, attending church in small Chapels in the
mountains and in isolated areas, always in fear and in utter secrecy. The Priests
lived in hiding, moving about in the night, so as to avoid arrest.
It was thus that, in September of 1925, a group of faithful people
of various ages climbed up into the foothills of Mount Hymettos to the Chapel
of St. John, so that they could pray and show honor to the Feast of the
Elevation of the Precious Cross.
Simple folk from all of the Attica Basin, they sought refuge
in the wilderness, so that they might thank God and commune from the Spotless
Mysteries and receive sanctification.
Presiding at the Liturgy was the indefatigable struggler, Father
John Phloros. Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who always protects us and never forsakes
us, constantly shows us signs for the fortification of our Faith.
Therefore, one year after the calendar betrayal, on the day
of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, September
14, 1925, [3] there was made manifest the wondrous occurrence of the third
appearance of the Precious Cross, to give strength to the anguished genuine
Orthodox. Reflecting back on ecclesiastical history, the first appearance of
the Precious Cross was before St. Constantine the Great, in the form of a
symbol of victory—“In this sign conquer”—on the evening of the Battle of the
Milvian Bridge against the contender for the Roman Throne, Maxentius.
The second appearance of the Holy Cross was on May 7, 346, in
Jerusalem, when Constantios II reigned in Constantinople and the Patriarch of
Jerusalem was St. Cyril. The Cross on which Christ was martyred shone forth
that day, formed by a supernatural light and extending to the Mount of Olives.
And the third appearance of the Holy Cross was as noted above,
on September 14, 1925, at the All-Night Vigil of those Christians who, defying
the danger posed, hastened to honor the great Feast of the Elevation of the
Precious Cross at Hymettos, to become beholders and eyewitnesses of the Divine
Presence.
And this great manifestation of truth could not be hidden. The
event was made known, and the newspapers of that time wrote about it.
It is nearing a century since this wondrous event occurred, when
God sealed and strengthened the Faith of all of these people, who in the most
adverse conditions sought to keep it alive.
In today’s epoch, however, contemporary faithful have changed
their hierarchy of needs.
People in our day have placed the priorities of daily life
above all else, seeking, struggling for, and worrying solely about subsistence.
They leave their faith in dormancy and bit by bit forget about God.
Yet in these days, when ecumenism, religious syncretism, and
other ills of the New Age are at their peak, our mission is even more
essential. We do not have the luxury of wasting our time on inessential
skirmishes.
It is now that the “little yeast” must be made effective. It
is now that the world needs the truth more than ever before. We must first
correct our own faults, and with boldness, and ask of the world that it call to
mind the words of the Apostle of the Nations, who tells us: “Stand fast
therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).
To put it simply, we are free because Christ has made us
free. We must stand firm and not be bound again by the bond of servitude.
Allow me to close with a few words of St. Gregory Palamas, from
his discourse on the Precious and Life-Giving Cross:
“Let us, bending our knees and inclining our hearts,
together with the Psalmist and Prophet David, reverence the place where His
feet were fixed (Psalm 131:7), where He spread out His Hands, which held
together the universe, and where He, for our sakes, stretched forth His Body,
the source of life, and, venerating and kissing it [the Cross] with faith, draw
on its abundant sanctification and cherish it. And thereby, at the most
glorious and future Second Coming of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ,
beholding Him come in splendor, we will rejoice at having attained to a place
at His right, in the glory of the Son of God, crucified in the flesh for our
salvation, to Whom is due glory, together with his Unoriginate Father and his
all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.”
1. Metropolitan Gerontios, born in Piraeus in 1966, hails
from a family with deep roots in the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians
of Greece. He is a graduate of the Rizareios Ecclesiastical School of Athens and
the Ecclesiastical Lyceum of Athens. He became a monk immediately after his
studies and was raised to the rank of Bishop in 1999.
2. A suburb of Athens.
3. The date of the Feast in the traditional Church Calendar,
which is thirteen days behind the secular (Gregorian) calendar.
Source: Orthodox
Tradition, Vol. XXXVI, No. 1, pp. 19-22.
Ondrej Rác | September 25, 2025
(Translated from published Czech edition)
With the interview with Bishop Klimis, Metropolitan of Larissa
and Platamon, we continue the series of interviews through which the Greek
Orthodox Old Calendarist Church is being presented. Vladyka Klimis oversees the
Moravian Eparchy of this Church, which is composed of Czech, Slovak, and Polish
Orthodox Christians. The interview took place on the occasion of Metropolitan
Klimis’s visit to the Czech Republic in the summer of 2025. The first of the
interviews, in which Dr. Ondrej Rác responded, is published here: https://info.dingir.cz/2025/08/35717/
- The Editors.
You are a bishop. In the
Orthodox tradition, a bishop usually comes from monasticism. What was your path
to monasticism and the priesthood?
It was the natural path of
someone who, from childhood, lived in the Church and served her and her work
with all his strength. Already at a very early age, more than 50 years ago, I
began singing in the church choir, studied theology, received monastic tonsure,
served for approximately two decades as a deacon and priest, and in the year
2007 I was elevated—without desiring or seeking it (on the contrary, I tried by
all means to avoid it)—to the episcopal ministry. It seems this was God's will.
It is a great honor, for which I am deeply thankful to God's love for mankind,
but at the same time also a great cross, the burden of which I can bear only
with God's help and with the prayers of all who esteem me and love me.
Was there something you would
like and be able to share, which you consider key in your decision for
monasticism?
Love for God and for the Church.
The figure of Metropolitan
Cyprian of Oropos was known even outside of Greece. How did he influence you
spiritually?
My spiritual father, Metropolitan
Cyprian of Oropos and Phyle (†2013), of blessed memory, was the person who
profoundly influenced my decision for the monastic life. I needed help,
encouragement, and inspiration. He tonsured me a monk and ordained me to the
first two degrees of the priesthood. I am grateful to him for everything he
offered me, for what he taught me, and for the example he set for me.
He was a spiritual man, cautious,
prudent. A man of order, system, and creativity. A man focused on the essence,
who could distinguish the important from the unimportant, the primary from the
secondary. A man persevering in good, patient in trials, a man of sacrifice and
service. He was a true spiritual father and superior in the monastic life.
Throughout his entire path, of
course, there were also contentious points regarding his ecclesiastical
decisions (his personal life, however, was Christ-centered, Eucharistic, and
utterly pure), but these are for God and history to judge. The work and the
people he left behind speak for themselves—and whoever has eyes to see, sees.
In Greece, the main church is
the Church of Greece. However, you belong to the Greek Orthodox Old Calendarist
Church. This distinction is not entirely clear in our country. How would you
explain it to Czech Orthodox Christians?
The Church of Greece is the
official church of our country, to which, theoretically, the overwhelming
majority of the population belongs. The leadership of this church introduced, a
hundred years ago in 1924, into its liturgical life the so-called new calendar—and
this on the basis of a political directive, but also by the will of some of the
highest-ranking modernist clergymen, who had deviated from the Orthodox
tradition and sought to introduce innovations in order to draw closer to
Western non-Orthodox Christians.
The first step of this
rapprochement was the joint celebration of feasts according to the Western
Gregorian calendar, which was in force in civil life, and this in the spirit of
ecumenism. The ecumenical movement, which emerged mainly among Protestant Christians
with the aim of unified missionary activity, common witness, and social
service, found a response also among some Orthodox clergy and professors. These
had studied in the West and were influenced by the political and religious
currents of their time.
According to the Orthodox faith
and tradition, however, the joint celebration of feasts with those of other
confessions, as well as common action and witness in the world, is only
possible once unity has been achieved in the faith of the one, singular, and
undivided Church of Christ. This Church is historically identical with the
Eastern Orthodox Church. This conviction was and is the true confession of
Orthodox Christians, for the Orthodox Church believes and experiences that
which has always and everywhere constituted the truth of the Church—by which we
mean the experience and consciousness recorded in her written monuments, as
well as the faith and awareness of her ancient and modern saints.
This is not an arrogant
statement, but a firm biblical conviction that “there is one Lord, one faith,
one baptism.” Drawing near to those of other confessions makes sense only as a
missionary appeal to their repentance and their entry into the fullness of
catholicity and truth—that is, into the Orthodox Church, which is identical
with the “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church” of the
Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.
It follows from this that the
acceptance of the new calendar—whether under the pretext of correcting an
alleged astronomical error in the Orthodox Paschalion, or for political
and secular purposes, or for rapprochement with those of other confessions—is,
for the Orthodox conscience, a violation of a fundamental principle. Therefore,
there was resistance on the part of simple clergy and laity against this uncanonical
decision, which was implemented without pan-Orthodox consensus, thereby causing
division among the Orthodox—which is inadmissible. Some local churches (the
majority and more numerous) remained with the so-called old (ecclesiastical)
calendar, while others adopted the new calendar. The result is that to this day
there remains a division in the celebration of feasts, and the issue has
remained open and unresolved for an entire century. The official churches,
which seek to reinforce and expand this liturgical innovation for ecumenical
reasons, do not wish a return to Orthodox practice. On the contrary, they are
attempting to drag into error even those local churches which, for serious and
pastoral reasons, do not intend to accept either the new calendar or the new Paschalion,
which has recently been much discussed.
Our forefathers, who in Greece
stood against the introduction of this innovation, acted rightly, in accordance
with the sacred canons, which permit separation from those who err in matters
of faith and tradition (31st Apostolic Canon, 15th Canon of the First-Second
Council), in order that the innovation might not spread but rather be
corrected. This does not mean schism, but on the contrary, the correction of
the schism introduced by the innovators. Those in the Greek Church who stood
against the new calendar and later against the ecclesiological heresy of
ecumenism were called authentic or true Orthodox Christians [in the Czech
context, the term “Old Calendarist” became common – ed. note], and they
formed a distinct ecclesiastical body in order to fulfill their mission. Their
communities, parishes, and monasteries came to number in the hundreds across
the country. From the year 1935, when bishops joined their ranks, they were
ecclesiastically structured according to synodal order. In the years 1960 and
1962, they received episcopal consecration from the Russian Orthodox Church
Abroad and continue in their holy mission both in our homeland and in the
diaspora—not only among Greek Orthodox Christians, but wherever they are asked
for ecclesiastical assistance and spiritual care, sharing its principles,
mission, and ministry.
We strive for the unity of the
Church, which has been disrupted—but on the basis of Orthodox principles, not
according to political or ecumenical aims and intentions.
How are you viewed in Greece?
In Greece, we are perceived as a
minority that insists on upholding the principles of Orthodoxy. These
principles, though still worthy of respect for a large portion of people, are
for the most part already considered outdated. Few understand the very essence
of our mission, and few share our struggle and what we are striving for. The
majority—within the framework of the secularization of postmodern society—view
us as so-called “Old Calendarists,” as people clinging to the past, as
backward-looking individuals who are not in harmony with the spirit of the
times. Contemporary society, after all, generally perceives Christianity itself
as in many respects outdated and incompatible with the needs and demands of
modern man, who feels no need for God. For understandable reasons, then, the
opinion of the majority of society toward those who strive for a pure and
unadulterated form of Orthodox Christianity is even more dismissive and
contemptuous.
Unfortunately, this has also been
contributed to by the fact that within the Old Calendarist movement, there
appeared various extremes among individuals who were characterized by
fanaticism and a general tendency toward arbitrary separation, self-justification,
and harsh condemnation of all others.
Likewise, there were individuals
who exploited our situation and, under the pretense of ecclesiastical
separation—supposedly for reasons of faith and conscience—entered among the Old
Calendarists with the aim of promoting other interests: personal, self-serving,
and opportunistic. There arose various arbitrary actions, divisions, and
confusions.
We strive to bear good witness
both to those near and far, despite the fact that in our milieu during the past
century there have appeared problems caused by human weakness and the cunning
of the devil. However, we can say with certainty that our honest and
self-sacrificing effort, which is spreading also through the internet, has in
recent years contributed to correcting public opinion about us. Anyone who is a
person of good will can, even on the basis of serious historical study, discern
who among the Old Calendarist Orthodox represents the true continuation of our
Church, free from extremes and arbitrariness—according to the line bequeathed
to us by our leader, the holy Metropolitan Chrysostomos, Bishop of Florina (†
1955). Sources of information are available.
You serve in the city of Larissa
in Greece, which is an ancient episcopal see. Could you briefly introduce it?
In Larissa, our Church has had an
episcopal see since 1979, when my predecessor, Metropolitan Athanasios (†
2021), a native of this region, was consecrated. After many decades of service
here, he left a positive mark through his consistency and seriousness. He was a
peaceable man, a lover of the divine services, and at the same time a fighter.
Since January 2022, I have been serving in this beautiful and historic city of
Thessaly, located in the geographic center of Greece, even though I myself come
from northern Greece and had served for decades in the south of the country.
In the region, we have churches,
parishes, and a considerable number of faithful. However, there are few priests
(only 7), which is not enough to meet all the ecclesiastical needs. A major
problem is the lack of new vocations to the priestly ministry. Even I, though a
bishop, am often obliged on Sundays and feast days to serve alone, like a
simple clergyman, in order to meet the needs of the faithful. We place emphasis
on ensuring a proper liturgical life and on meeting the immediate pastoral
needs—on my part, this primarily means the sacraments of repentance, that is,
confession, and the preaching of the word of God.
We established a charitable
association for the implementation of social and philanthropic work. We
maintain the active website of our Metropolis, which is updated almost daily,
and we publish a special brochure Bastion of Orthodoxy (Έπαλξις
Ορθοδοξίας) to acquaint the wider public with our witness and work in
Christ, which is carried out with His blessing and help. We also publish books
and brochures about our identity and spiritual mission.
The patron saint of our city is
Saint Achilleos, the protector of Larissa, who lived in the 4th century. A
co-patron is Saint Bessarion, Archbishop of Larissa during the time of Turkish
rule (16th century), a wonderworker. Daily we turn to their intercessions, that
they may help and guide us. However, our primary hope and refuge is the Most
Holy Mother of God Mary, our Panagia, the Mother to whom our cathedral
church is dedicated.
For a long time, the Greek Old
Calendarist Church was outlawed. What is the situation today?
From the very beginning, our Old
Calendarist Church faced fierce persecution both from the state and from
ecclesiastical innovators. We even had martyrs who shed their blood for their
unwavering stance in favor of authentic Orthodoxy. Our martyric leader, Saint
Chrysostomos (Kavouridis) of Florina († 1955), was twice sent into exile (in
the years 1935 and 1952) and endured unimaginable sufferings. The same holds
true for many other clergy, monks, and laypeople—may their memory be eternal!
Today, we no longer face open
persecution, because the times are no longer favorable to such methods;
nonetheless, there exist indirect forms of discrimination against our Church.
What kind of persecution did
you experience as the Greek Old Calendarist Orthodox Church, and how do you
remember it?
For decades, both before and
after the Second World War, throughout the 20th century, we faced open
persecution from authoritarian political and ecclesiastical authorities. This
lasted until the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s. I was born
during that time, and therefore I do not have personal experience of those
dreadful years. But from childhood, we grew up on the stories of relatives and
acquaintances from our circles who did have such experiences.
In my time, as I remember, we
were mainly pointed at as “Old Calendarists.” I grew up with the feeling that I
belonged to a minority that was the object of ridicule. There was a kind of
social pressure, something like bullying. During my studies at the Faculty of
Theology of the University of Thessaloniki, I had to be especially cautious so
that my ecclesiastical affiliation would not be revealed, otherwise I could
have had problems continuing and completing my studies.
Later, in 1994, when I
participated as a hieromonk in a significant anti-ecumenical conference in
Athens, where I delivered a lecture, the official Church of Greece intervened
with the military authorities and requested that I be defrocked and drafted into
the army! At that time, together with other clergy and monks of our Church who
faced a similar issue, we appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court and were
acquitted. Secular justice treated us more humanely than the supposedly kind
and philanthropic church, which once again forgot its mission and behaved—to
its great shame—as a persecutor.
And although I forgive the wrongs
committed, I nevertheless remain cautious, because I am not an irresponsible
person.
Ecumenism is a worldwide
phenomenon. Most churches and Christian organizations engage in it to varying
degrees. Is there any form of cooperation between Christian churches that you
consider permissible without compromising the faith?
No, there is no form of
cooperation between Christian churches. It is something new, which is not found
in the history of the Church. Social relations based on mutual understanding
and neighborly coexistence can exist, especially in regions where Christianity
is generally a minority and where the state, in seeking to secure legal
advantages, tries to support the formation of informal bodies to discuss shared
issues. But even in such cases, great care must be taken to avoid erroneous
conclusions and practices that contradict the canonical tradition of the
Church—such as, for example, common prayers. If such things occur, then we are
truly dealing with an impermissible compromise in the faith, which is
unacceptable for us.
Is there cooperation in Greece
between Old Calendarists and New Calendarists?
No, neither officially nor
unofficially. On a personal and local level among individuals, yes, because we
live together with our fellow citizens and compatriots. We are obliged to live
in peace, solidarity, social responsibility, and mutual assistance.
What would you advise an
Orthodox believer who begins to doubt ecumenism?
That he carefully examine this
issue, and above all, that he pray and ask the Lord to inwardly instruct him
concerning His will.
What is your relationship with
the bishop of the official Greek Orthodox Church in Larissa?
We maintain a courteous social
relationship. We avoid any tension. Our statements and witness regarding our
positions and views are not of a personal nature. Moreover, it is evident that
we operate in different spheres. Thus, each of us is free to reflect, assess,
and draw his own conclusions without prejudice.
Your Synod is known for its
missionary activity. Where are your Orthodox missions active?
On nearly all continents of the
world. In Europe (Germany, Italy, England, France, Switzerland, Belgium,
Denmark, Sweden, Czechia, Slovakia, Poland), in the Americas (USA, Canada,
Guatemala, Colombia, Brazil), in Africa (Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Kenya, Uganda,
Nigeria, Zambia), on the border of Europe and Asia (Georgia, South Ossetia), in
Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia), and in Oceania (Australia, New
Zealand).
How do you view the use of
liturgical language in missionary work in countries where Greek is not spoken?
Each region has the duty to
worship God in its own local language. Our divine service is “reasonable”
(λογική λατρεία), and therefore requires the conscious participation of the
faithful who take part in it. However, care must be taken that translations of
biblical and liturgical texts are rendered in a dignified and sacred manner, so
that they truly transmit spirit and life.
What were the first steps of
your mission in the Czech Republic, and how did it begin?
As far as I know, some faithful
from the Czech Republic began to take an interest in the questions of
ecumenism, searched and discovered our church community in Greece, and around
the year 2000 requested spiritual assistance. This created a spiritual relationship.
The result was the founding of small centers of traditionalist Orthodox faith
in the Czech Republic, the first of which was the house community of the priest
Fr. Jeremiáš Cvak in Jezdovice near Třešť.
(https://info.dingir.cz/2025/08/nabozenstvi-na-cestach-pravoslavni-krestane-v-jezdovicich/)
This place was visited both by
the late Metropolitan Cyprian († 2013) and by Bishop (now Metropolitan) Ambrose
of Methone, as well as by other of our clergy.
How do you recall the
beginnings of your service among Czech Orthodox Christians?
I first visited the Czech
Republic as a bishop in the summer of 2008, when we held the ceremonial opening
of our first and, at that time, only Orthodox church in the country—in
Jezdovice. It is dedicated to Saint Archbishop John Maximovich. It was a particularly
blessed experience. Since then, I have formed a spiritual bond with the small
missionary community there, and subsequently, several more visits took place in
the following years.
The mission developed slowly but
surely, and this continues to this day, which is encouraging. Naturally, there
were also painful cases of laypeople or clerics who turned away from us; this,
however, was mostly due to personal difficulties which they were unable to
overcome.
A great helper and co-worker in
this work was—and still is—our Czech priest, Father Jiří Ján—a convert to
Orthodoxy and a scholar of Greek. He serves as my interpreter and also as a
link with the local environment. Without his invaluable assistance, no essential
part of this effort could have been realized.
It is well known that in many
parts of the world, more than one Orthodox jurisdiction is active. In our
country, the autocephalous Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia is
present. How do you respond to the claim that your mission interferes with its
canonical territory?
What applies to Greece also
applies to other regions. My answer to your first question already contains the
answer to this one. Whoever does not accept our existence and presence in
Greece—mistakenly regarding it as uncanonical and schismatic—naturally cannot
accept our activity in any other geographical area either.
You are also the administrator
of the Moravian Eparchy. What does that mean exactly?
With God's help, I oversee and
support the development of our missionary presence and witness in the territory
of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland, until it becomes possible to
establish a more suitable form of ecclesiastical organization for traditionalist
Orthodoxy in this region—specifically through the appointment of someone as a
local bishop. Once a year, I visit parts of the eparchy, primarily in the Czech
Republic, but I also remain in ongoing contact and communication with the
clergy in order to address matters requiring my care and blessing, so that
church life may proceed in a proper and God-pleasing manner.
Can it be said that this
eparchy is defined more by the persons of the faithful than by geography?
Church life and development are
always locally determined—in a specific geographical area where the faithful
live and act. Persons and place are inseparable. Wherever faithful appear,
effort and care are exerted to ensure ecclesiastical service for them through
the establishment of a local community. In this way, our various small
communities in the territory of the Moravian Eparchy have come into being.
In Czechia and Slovakia, there
are parishes that follow the old calendar and others the new calendar. This
often leads to the same feasts being celebrated on different dates. Does a
similar phenomenon occur in Greece? What pastoral and spiritual challenges
arise from this?
As we have already said, the fact
that some introduced a liturgical innovation into the Orthodox context brought
with it an inadmissible phenomenon—an internal division among Orthodox
Christians regarding the celebration of feasts. This is essentially in
contradiction to the work and care of the holy Church Fathers, who, through
sacred councils and canons, strove to ensure that all Orthodox Christians would
celebrate the feasts together, outwardly as well, at the same time, as a sign
of unity in faith, mutual love, and unanimity.
Differing celebration brings
division and schism and must be corrected immediately—not, however, by yielding
to the calendar innovation, but by returning to the traditional ecclesiastical
calendar.
In recent decades, the New
Calendar Church in Greece has, in regions with conservative populations,
established parishes that do indeed use the Old Calendar, but belong to the New
Calendar Church and commemorate their local bishop. This, however, was not done
out of reverence for tradition or from any genuine concern for correcting an
error, but for uniate-like reasons—that is, in order to preserve an outward
form for the purpose of deceiving the faithful, so that they would not join the
Old Calendarist Church. Such a practice is dishonest and condemnable.
You also concern yourself with
Church history. What is your attitude toward Saints Cyril and Methodius?
They are exceptionally great
missionaries of the Orthodox Church who entered history with their unique
contribution to both the Church and culture. We hold them in immense gratitude
and should regard them as protectors and inspirers of our ecclesiastical life.
Especially in our Moravian Eparchy, we consider ourselves the direct
continuators of their holy mission, in the very place where they began and
carried it out. Several years ago, I wrote an extensive text about them,
addressing the entire issue and significance of their unique work, as well as
their message for the present time.
Did there exist veneration of
these saints in Greece, and how were they perceived?
Veneration of these great saints
from Thessaloniki was renewed in Greece especially in the last decades of the
20th century, when they began to receive due recognition.
Europe is facing serious
problems with uncontrolled and illegal migration, as well as with the
integration of immigrants—especially economic migrants—into local societies.
How is this problem manifesting in Greece?
Because Greece represents the
main entry gate into Europe from the East, it is precisely Greece that is
facing an exceptionally serious problem with uncontrolled migration flows. The
Orthodox Church has always been open in offering help to people in need,
regardless of their origin. Her mission is to assist every person in a
difficult situation.
In this case, however, it is
mostly not about people in need. They are not coming to us to escape the
horrors of war or other disasters. These are not exhausted women with children,
nor elderly, sick, or wounded people. Such individuals make up only a small
portion. The overwhelming majority are young, strong, physically fit men, who
moreover often have no verifiable identity documents.
It is essentially an army, a
“peaceful invasion” of our homeland and of Europe, a conquest from within.
These are compact groups of people, mostly of Muslim faith, who do not come in
order to peacefully integrate into the local environment with respect for its
culture and history, but in order to settle and assert themselves. They are a
foreign body that does not assimilate. The serious problems that arise from
this for Greece and for Europe are well known.
What I am saying is not an
expression of racism, but bare fact. Decisive political measures must be taken
to address this urgent and dangerous problem, which is leading toward a change
in the population and culture of Greece and Europe. However, since I am not a
specialist on this subject, it is not my place to speak about it. As spiritual
fathers, we only sound the alarm.
Missionary activity among these
people is not the topic. They do not give us the opportunity, nor any sign of
openness. The issue is how we ourselves will protect and preserve our religious
and national identity. And it is precisely here that the Church has the duty to
play a leading role as part of her mission.
The fact that we are not
xenophobic does not mean that we are naïve, nor that under the pretext of vague
love and tolerance we will accept our own decline and self-destruction without
taking steps to protect and preserve our Christian identity. Moreover, Greece
and Europe are facing a serious demographic problem, while these so-called
migrants have many children with multiple women. It is simply and logically
evident what will happen within a few decades if the necessary restrictive
measures are not taken.
If an Orthodox Christian
realizes that he would like to join the Church of the True Orthodox Christians
of Greece, what procedure should he follow? Is there a predetermined way or
guidance for such a step?
The person should turn to the
appropriate priest—spiritual father—and discuss this matter with him. Given the
seriousness of such a step, the bishop of our Church responsible for the given
area should be informed, so that he may determine the manner in which the
interested individual will be integrated into our ecclesiastical life. I am
convinced that in such matters, the spirit of discernment and graciousness
should always prevail—a spirit which, after all, reflects the philanthropic
spirit of the sacred canons of our Church.
Czech source:
https://info.dingir.cz/2025/09/vyrustal-jsem-s-pocitem-ze-patrim-k-mensine-rozhovor-s-vladykou-klimentem/
When violence is served to us with such ease, might we be at risk of becoming numb? Or even worse, might we be letting algorithms determine not only what we see, but also how we feel about it?
Evi Varthi | September 18, 2025
It is not only the events
themselves that shock us, but also the way they reach us. Within just one week,
two shocking videos dominated social networks: the brutal murder of Irina
Zarutska on a bus and the cold-blooded execution of Charlie Kirk at
a public event. Beyond the tragedy itself, what caused greater concern was
their "packaging": the manner in which they were presented, shared,
and became a field of online confrontation.
The first video caused division,
with different sides promoting their own “truth.” The second provoked shock but
also a strange indifference, as if it were consumed with the same ease with
which we consume any other online content. And the question remains: when
violence is served to us with such ease, might we be at risk of becoming numb? Or
even worse, might we be letting algorithms determine not only what we see, but
also how we feel about it?
The illusion of
neutrality
Social media are not neutral.
They track our every move: what we click on, what we comment on, even where we
stop scrolling. Whatever captures our attention is multiplied. Not to offer us
the “truth,” but to keep us glued to the screen.
Thus is created the so-called “filter
bubble”: for the most part, we see content that agrees with our views,
while every now and then the opposing view slips in—not by chance, but because
anger yields more engagement.
When violence
becomes “content”
Repeated exposure to violent
images gradually leads to desensitization. The first video shocks us. The
second unsettles us. By the tenth, we might simply scroll past it. Thus, murder
or assault is turned into mere “content,” into spectacle. The line between
tragedy and entertainment begins to blur.
The platforms and
their traps
- Facebook & Instagram:
reinforce our views but also throw in “sparks” of disagreement.
- TikTok: traps users more
quickly in a “bubble,” with violent clips going viral within hours.
- X (Twitter): a mix of
echo chambers and extreme confrontations.
- YouTube: the classic
“rabbit hole” – from one video, you can find yourself in an entire chain of
one-dimensional information.
The impact on our
consciousness
Algorithms are changing the way
we see the world:
• They make us believe that
“everyone” agrees with us.
• They amplify the most extreme
voices of the “other side.”
• They numb us emotionally.
• They create an illusion that
the world is more dangerous than it actually is.
What we can do
The solution is not easy, but
there are antidotes:
• To follow a variety of voices,
even if we disagree.
• To cross-check news from
different sources.
• To limit our exposure to harsh
images.
• To ask ourselves: does this
post inform me, or does it simply enrage me?
The only certain thing is that
nothing happens by chance. What we see and how we perceive it is the result of
design. And the more conscious we become of this reality, the freer we will
remain in regard to what we truly believe — and feel.
About the author: Evi Varthi is a communications specialist, image consultant,
and founder of Idol Image Consulting, based in the USA. She holds a Master’s
degree in Communication and New Journalism, as well as a degree in Hellenic
Culture Studies from the Open University of Cyprus and in Liberal Arts from the
University of Hawaii, Maui College. She has lived and worked in Greece,
Bahrain, and the USA, gaining valuable international experience. She
specializes in strategic image management, intercultural communications, and
crisis communication management, with a focus on building strong personal and
professional identities, centered on public narratives and their influence on
public opinion.
Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Attica and Boeotia
September 28, 2025
Beloved brethren in Christ,
Christianity is not a philosophy,
nor an ideology, but a heartfelt experience and a way of life. We could say
that it is a journey with Christ as our guide. In order to take part in this
journey, no greater abilities are required than those which we all possess.
However, there are two necessary conditions: that we desire to follow our
Christ and that we willingly take up our Cross. This is precisely what the Lord
tells us in today’s Gospel reading for the Sunday after the world-rejoicing
Elevation of the Precious Cross: “Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Truly, he who wishes to be a
Christian, he who desires to belong to the ark of salvation, to the spiritual
camp and to the great family called the “Orthodox Church,” must be very
conscious and resolute. Resolute for what? To leave behind the selfish “I want.”
This may perhaps sound foreign or harsh to some, but think of it differently.
Consider a soldier, in the midst
of battle, asserting his own will against the commands of the experienced and
wise general. That soldier will both lose his life and cause harm to the army.
We thus understand why Christ
calls us to deny ourselves and to conform to His Will.
What does Christ want from us?
What do we read in the Gospel? “If ye would be My friends, imitate Me.” Our God
is a God of sacrifice and offering, and this He demonstrated in deed. He
condescended to put on our garment, human nature, and to be led to the Cross;
He was sacrificed that we might live. And in every Divine Liturgy He is
sacrificed and offers unto us His All-Immaculate Body and His Most-Pure Blood.
Since, therefore, He is a God of
sacrifice and offering, so too must we be. Offering, generosity, and sacrifice
are not limited only to material goods. We do not offer to our fellow man
merely by giving him a piece of bread, nor—in the worst case—by giving an old
garment which we no longer need. We offer also when we let two good words come
forth from our heart, two words of comfort and support. We offer also when we
give of ourselves to help where there is need.
Offering and sacrifice are a
Cross. And certainly, this applies both to the laity and to us who wear the
cassock. The fact that we have put on the honored cassock does not mean that we
have automatically sacrificed ourselves. If we have put on the cassock and are
looking first to the things of our own household and only afterward to the
Church, we must re-examine our position, for otherwise we shall not succeed.
The Holy Apostles traced the
path. They fully responded to the evangelical word of Christ, denying not only
themselves but also their families; they took up their Cross—the Cross of
sacrifice, of toil, of dangers—and followed Him, with the result that they
captivated the whole world. And having captivated the world, one after
another—except for John the Theologian—they were martyred, being utterly
certain that after the Crucifixion follows the Resurrection.
Christ, beloved brethren, calls
us to take up our Cross, but He also gives us the strength to bear it. No one’s
Cross is greater than his strength, and this is because God supports us even in
the most difficult moments: “a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not
despise.” And the fact that Resurrection follows Crucifixion does not refer
only to our repose, but is a reality that is repeated in our life. This
Resurrection brings to the soul the fullness of joy and gladness.
A sign of this Resurrection which
follows the Crucifixion is also the feast which our Church today commemorates
and honors: the feast of the Third Appearance of the Precious Cross in the sky,
which took place during a Vigil in honor of the Elevation of the Precious Cross
according to the Patristic Calendar, in the year 1925, at the Holy Monastery of
Saint John the Theologian in Hymettus.
This event strengthened the pious
Orthodox to remain in the tradition of the Fathers.
Just as the Precious Cross
appeared full of light, so too must we be full of light. And if we are not, let
us become so! Let us become Light of Christ. Only if we have light within us
shall we be able to transmit it, to the glory of the Triune God, to Whom belong
glory, honor, and worship unto the ages. Amen!
I pray that the Cross of our Lord
may always be for us the beacon which shall guide our course toward Heaven,
through Crucifixion and Resurrection.
Your Hierarch,
† Chrysostomos of Attica and
Boeotia
From the Romanian Akathist of the Venerable Saint John Jacob the Romanian of Chozeva
O Venerable Father John, a heavenly life didst thou live upon the earth; for from Holy Baptism, thou didst receive the name of the great prophet Elias, and at the taking on of the angelic habit, thou was entrusted unto the protection of Saint John the Baptist. Wherefore thou didst follow their example in thy life. For thy holy life in the wilderness, having passed from the vain world, the Lord hath granted rest unto thy soul in the brightness of paradise, and unto thy toilsome body He hath bestowed incorruption, revealing in thee the glory of His Name.
Having these things in remembrance, we, the unworthy and sinful, come with humility and reverence, beseeching thee that thou not overlook us when we flee unto thy help.
O Saint John, thou who from thine infancy was orphaned of thy parents, help, by thy prayers, the orphans, that they may find the love of the Heavenly Father; thou who was a brother and dweller in the monastery, help us to live, wheresoever we be, as brethren in Christ; thou who didst make of thy longing for the desert a yearning for holy heaven, help us by thy prayers to seek the sanctification of our souls, which are laid waste by sins; thou who was a great struggler, help those who strive in the right faith to fulfill in their life the commandments of Christ; thou who was a fervent supplicant unto God, strengthen our prayers and increase our zeal and piety; thou who didst long to dwell in the Holy Land, help us, through good deeds, to sanctify the place wherein we dwell, ever calling upon the Holy Spirit to abide within us; thou who didst bring down heaven into a cave by thy prayers, entreat Christ to warm and enlighten with His love the cave of our hearts; thou who even in this world didst feel the joy and peace of the life eternal, pray thou unto the Heavenly Father that He grant us the joy and peace of His Kingdom.
O Saint John, who was from thy youth an orphan of parents, preserve the aged in the right faith, the young in a pure life, and the children in love toward God and their parents. Protect with thy prayers the poor and the sick, the widows and the orphans, the travelers and the captives.
Deliver our land from perils and tribulations, and pray for all faithful people, that together with thee they may glorify, through faith and deeds, God: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Romanian (G.O.C.) source: https://www.manastirea-amd.ro/acatistul-sfantului-cuvios-ioan-iacob-romanul-de-la-hozeva/
Feast days: March 25, October 12 and the Great Friday
To be prayed
continually for someone or for yourself in order to obtain repentance and
conversion to Christ before you or that person dies. Also to be prayed for
souls who departed this world without being part of Christ’s True Church or
people who died without repentance in sins so that they may eventually be
spared from Hell.
Kontakion 1
God the Father was pleased to
have you nailed to the cross on the right hand of the Savior, Who brought down
enmity, strengthened peace, and opened the treasury of countless blessings; and
coming to a true knowledge of sin, humility, and mercy, Holy Dismas, you were
reconciled with Him and from being a stranger to His Kingdom you became a
friend of eternal joys. For this reason, as one sanctified by the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself, hear these words of prayer and intercede for us who honor you:
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, giving us the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Ikos 1
Where there is the Cross, there
is sacrifice, and where there is sacrifice, there is the forgiveness of sins,
reconciliation with the Lord, celebration, and joy. And you, Holy Dismas,
ascended the cross in pain and iniquity, but although your body descended
afterwards, your soul ascended first into Heaven, where the Cherubim sang to
you thus:
Rejoice, you who were crucified
for sins and saved because of faith;
Rejoice, good and wise thief;
Rejoice, for the sword of the
Cherubim did not touch you in Heaven;
Rejoice, for at the command of
the Lord, it bowed down before you;
Rejoice, for the Kingdom of God
was your salvation;
Rejoice, for death lost its sting
through your repentance;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, giving us
the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 2
You were a man of iniquity, Holy
Dismas, living your whole life alongside thieves and robbers, despising honest
work and family, being a loner of evil deeds, living at a time when our Lord
Jesus Christ was preaching the Word of the Father in Jerusalem: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
But the Heavenly Father ordained
that you should be judged in the same days as His Son Jesus Christ, and being
condemned to death by crucifixion, you were nailed to a cross on the right hand
of the Savior, and we pray with tears:
Rejoice, for you have received
the good part of life;
Rejoice, for thus the prophecy of
the Holy Prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled;
Rejoice, for he said that “Jesus
was counted among the lawless”;
Rejoice, for you bring the
fulfillment of the times;
Rejoice, for you have known the
True Way;
Rejoice, for your erroneous
journey through the world has come to an end;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, giving us
the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 3
Christ sacrificed Himself for us
on the high Cross, on the new altar, just as the sacrifice is new and glorious,
and we no longer dwell outside the King’s courts because we have found the
Door; we no longer fear the devil because we have found the Source of Victory;
we no longer fear the wolf because we have the Good Shepherd, and we are no
longer alone because we have found the Bridegroom: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
When Jesus Christ came to earth,
He planted in the arid fields of our hearts the seed of divine grace that bears
fruit even in the driest depths, boldly digging into the rock of our hardened
hearts and making room for the King of Life, the King who you adored on the
cross, O Holy Dismas:
Rejoice, for through the cross
you have known the Power of the Lord;
Rejoice, for on the cross He has
shown His Lordship;
Rejoice, for your evil mind has
been changed by the One who is full of goodness;
Rejoice, for the sword of the
Holy Spirit has penetrated your conscience;
Rejoice, for He has broken sin
from you and given birth to repentance;
Rejoice, for the enemy devil has
been put to shame, having lost his servant;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, for giving
us the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 4
On the high Cross, the Lamb was
slain, not under covering, so that He might cleanse the air, being under the
open sky, and the earth was cleansed too, for His Blood fell upon it, becoming
a common Sacrifice for all nations, so that every place on earth might become a
place of prayer and worship: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
The greater the sacrifice, the
greater the holiness, for behold! From lawlessness the Lord saved you, Holy
Dismas, and from being crucified and nailed with spikes, He had mercy on you,
He took you out of the sorrow of suffering and made you know the nature of the
Cross, not as wood of condemnation but as the Power of Him, the Crucified One,
Who on the Cross performed the miracle that we all praise:
Rejoice, for Heaven has been
honored with such a Master;
Rejoice, for He has brought you
with Him, the thief on the cross;
Rejoice, for He has shown you
worthy of the delight of eternity;
Rejoice, for He heals incurable
wounds;
Rejoice, for you have made
yourself worthy of the feast in heaven;
Rejoice, for you teach us to bow
our hearts to Him with humility;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, giving us
the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 5
Jesus did not raise any dead man
on the Cross, nor did He rebuke the sea and the winds, nor did He cast out His
loved ones, but being crucified, nailed, reviled, and mocked, He was able to
change your mind, Holy Dismas, who was shrouded in sins and thieving thoughts,
so that you might see His Power on both sides: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
The Savior shook all creation,
splitting the rocks and drawing your soul, which was more insensitive than
stone, to Him and elevating you, Saint, saying, “Today you will be with Me in
Paradise,” and we rejoice and sing:
Rejoice, for you are our teacher,
Saint;
Rejoice, for you teach us to cry
out loudly;
Rejoice, for at the last moment,
our cry is heard;
Rejoice, for you make the truth
shine forth;
Rejoice, for you help us to grow
despite all obstacles;
Rejoice, ladder to the Kingdom of
heavenly blessings;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, giving us
the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 6
The whole world is divided
between one thief and the other thief, both standing on the cross, both living
a robber life, both doing evil, sinning, and indulging in passions, but only
one of them has you, Holy Dismas, for you place him on the right side of the
Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ and, breaking the stone of his spiritual
conscience, you show him repentance in his last hour so that he may inherit
Heaven: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
All of humanity gathered at the
foot of the Cross, for one criminal reviled, the other worshipped, one
blasphemed, the other blessed and rebuked the lost one: “Do you not fear God?…
for we receive what we deserve according to our deeds.” and we, appropriating
for ourselves your boldness, Holy Dismas, honor you thus:
Rejoice, for you took heed of
yourself;
Rejoice, for you left your own,
even though you were dying in agony;
Rejoice, for you cared for the
Savior;
Rejoice, for you knew that He
suffered without sin;
Rejoice, for you no longer felt
your own pain, but His;
Rejoice, for your mind was
enlightened;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, for giving
us the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 7
Your salvation, Holy Dismas, was
a manifestation of God’s glory revealed in the very crucifixion of the Lord,
for His sacrifice meant first of all your salvation and then the deliverance of
the whole world, for on the cross you knew Him, and the injustice done to Him
moved your heart to redemption, being the first man to enter Paradise:
Alleluia!
Ikos 7
You cried out from the cross for
heaven and earth to hear: “This man has done no wrong!”, testifying that Jesus
Christ was the sinless Man Who received the nails of the Cross as seals of
forgiveness for our sins, and fearing God, you wept under the condemnation of
human judgment, but you were then comforted by the mercy of God’s judgment,
thus ascending to the heights:
Rejoice, for you did not judge
and were not judged;
Rejoice, for from the Cross you
leaped into Heaven;
Rejoice, for your mercy for the
Lord cleansed you of all iniquity;
Rejoice, for you wept for Him and
not for yourself;
Rejoice, for you found justice in
your condemnation;
Rejoice, for the injustice of His
death was your greatest pain;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, giving us
the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 8
You heard Jesus Christ speaking
from the Cross all His words of farewell to those who crucified Him, Holy
Dismas, asking the Father for forgiveness because the Romans did not know what
they were doing, with Saint Longinus the Centurion as a witness, who also
watched with sorrow as Life was put to death, but who was later deemed worthy
to be the first witness of the Lord’s Resurrection: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
On that day of the terrible
Cross, you were among the three who brought comfort to the Lord on the Way of
the Cross, Holy Dismas, for Saint Simon of Cyrene carried His cross for a
while, Saint Veronica wiped His face of blood and sweat, and you, Holy Dismas,
comforted the One who comforts all souls, saying words of comfort and
justification of His innocence, and we praise you:
Rejoice, because for this the
Lord has shown you mercy;
Rejoice, for your love has opened
Heaven;
Rejoice, for your care for Him
has lifted you above iniquity;
Rejoice, for you have gladdened
the King of Joy;
Rejoice, for you are our way to
Heaven;
Rejoice, for you open the doors
of the soul to confession;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, giving us
the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 9
No one taught you repentance,
Holy Dismas, and no one showed you what sin means, but just as a sheep knows
its Shepherd and recognizes His Voice calling it from wherever it may be, so
you awoke as if from a deep sleep and, hanging on the cross with your body, you
found your soul in the flock of the Lord God: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
Our Shepherd is Good, Loving, and
Forgiving, and He constantly seeks a shred of repentance in us so that He may
have the opportunity to join us with those already saved, and you, Holy Dismas,
are a skilled teacher in the mystery of confession, for you show us what and
how to confess, so that, freed from the weight of our hearts, we may call you
thus:
Rejoice, for on the cross you
stripped yourself of sins;
Rejoice, for you saw yourself
void of any good deed;
Rejoice, for you confessed as you
were;
Rejoice, for you revealed
yourself in your whole being;
Rejoice, for no one forced you,
nor urged you;
Rejoice, for sin has lost its
power;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, for giving
us the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 10
Through your confession, you
opened Heaven, Holy Dismas, and with the boldness of your confession, you
directly asked for the Kingdom, for although the nails and the cross are
visible, the Cross itself is the sign of the Kingdom, and that is why Jesus Christ
is called “King” because we see Him crucified as a Master who gives His life
for His subjects, descended into hell from where He raised souls to Heaven and
then appeared Risen on the third day: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
The cross is the reflection of
the Kingdom of God, for the Savior did not leave it on earth but took it and
raised it up to Heaven, for with it He will come at His second and glorious
Coming, so that those who crucified Him may know their sin. Do not leave us
prey to deception, Holy Dismas, that we may know the times and bear fruits of
humility and meekness, lest the Savior say to us, “I do not know you,” but that
we may also be chosen among those who will stand at the right hand of the Lord:
Rejoice, and help us to grow in
prayer;
Rejoice, putting the voice of the
Seraphim in us;
Rejoice, for you bring us the joy
of glorifying God;
Rejoice, for you show us what it
means to love our enemies;
Rejoice, for you deliver us from
the agony of suffering;
Rejoice, for you stop pain,
bringing heavenly comfort;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, giving us
the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 11
From robbery and wickedness you
passed in an instant to humility, Holy Dismas, and praying to the One on your
right, “Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom,” the heavens shook,
the angels sang, the earth shook, for the first of the wicked became the first
of those who entered the realm of Heaven: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
And the Lord, accepting the
repentance of the one who, although he had been foolish all his life, became
wise in an instant, said to him: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me
in Paradise!” And Heaven opened, Light flashed, Love conquered, and we, shaken
by all this, pray:
Rejoice, you who proclaim to us
the joy of salvation;
Rejoice, you who run after the
lost sheep;
Rejoice, you who bring stray
souls into the fold;
Rejoice, you who awaken in us
mercy and righteous judgment;
Rejoice, for on the cross the
dominion of the enemy was destroyed;
Rejoice, you who conquer the
oppression of the devil even for us too;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, giving us
the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 12
Through food Adam was cast out of
Paradise, but through the wood of the cross you were saved, Holy Dismas, for
Adam tasted and rejected the commandment of the One who created him, but you,
crucified together with the Lord, confessed Him who was hidden: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
He who willingly ascended the
Cross and destroyed the power of death, erasing the record that was against us,
the Son of God, Jesus Christ, erased the tablet of your sins and, destroying
the enemy’s plot, opened Heaven to you, and we pray to you thus:
Rejoice, you who, though
tormented, were able to show compassion;
Rejoice, you who, though living
in sin, knew how to repent;
Rejoice, protector of those who
seek the Lord’s forgiveness;
Rejoice, you who guide the lost
to Confession;
Rejoice, for you give us the
remembrance of our transgressions;
Rejoice, for you break the past
from us, for the eternal joys of Heaven;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, giving us
the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 13
You who saw the Lord Jesus Christ
preaching the mystery of love, obedience, and patience on the Way of the Cross,
Who then, being crucified on the Cross, changed your heart into a burning fire
for God, Holy Dismas, look with mercy upon us sinners and sow repentance in us,
that we may be received at the Right Hand of the Lord in the Kingdom of Heaven,
where you, O Saint, were the first among men to enter: Alleluia! (This
Kontakion is said 3 times).
Then the First Ikos (“Where
there is the Cross…”) and the First Kontakion (“God the Father was pleased…”)
are said again once more.
Ikos 1
Where there is the Cross, there
is sacrifice, and where there is sacrifice, there is the forgiveness of sins,
reconciliation with the Lord, celebration, and joy. And you, Holy Dismas,
ascended the cross in pain and iniquity, but although your body descended
afterwards, your soul ascended first into Heaven, where the Cherubim sang to
you thus:
Rejoice, you who were crucified
for sins and saved because of faith;
Rejoice, good and wise thief;
Rejoice, for the sword of the
Cherubim did not touch you in Heaven;
Rejoice, for at the command of
the Lord, it bowed down before you;
Rejoice, for the Kingdom of God
was your salvation;
Rejoice, for death lost its sting
through your repentance;
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, giving us
the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Kontakion 1
God the Father was pleased to
have you nailed to the cross on the right hand of the Savior, Who brought down
enmity, strengthened peace, and opened the treasury of countless blessings; and
coming to a true knowledge of sin, humility, and mercy, Holy Dismas, you were
reconciled with Him and from being a stranger to His Kingdom you became a
friend of eternal joys. For this reason, as one sanctified by the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself, hear these words of prayer and intercede for us who honor you:
Rejoice, Holy Dismas, giving us
the gift of repentance and faith in God!
Ending prayer to Saint Dismas
the Good Thief on the Cross:
Saint Dismas, you were crucified
next to the Lord, you saw Him telling the women not to weep for Him, but for
themselves, you heard Him asking His Father to forgive His tormentors because
they did not know what they were doing, and from His lips you read the entire
Gospel. Standing at His right hand on the cross, you understood the whole
mystery of salvation, and His blessed Face penetrated you beyond all your
transgressions, for He looked deeply into your being with sadness and love,
gentleness and determination, and with infinite compassion for your lost soul.
And then, O Saint, dawn broke in
your heart, for the Sun had risen from the Cross and His rays were so powerful
that no shadow had power over you, and from a thief you became a disciple of
the Master of Light, comforting Him who comforts all living things, and He, for
your kindness, promised you: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise!”
We also pray to you, Saint
Dismas, the thief who was crucified and believed in Christ crucified, to give
us your faith from the cross, for you believed in eternal life, knowing at once
that the soul is indebted to climb the ladder to Heaven. We are so burdened
with sins that we cannot look up, but we ask you to intercede with God to
forgive us. Please grant us repentance and your love for Christ, open the way
for us to Holy Confession, and once we arrive there, clear our minds and hearts
so that we may confess purely, making a good beginning.
Help us to be reconciled with
God, you who were like the prodigal son, ask Him to accept our tears, to give
us the awareness of sin, to set us right, so that we may bear the fruits of
good deeds, and to enable us to call upon Him with clean lips and with the hope
of salvation: “Remember us, Lord, when you come with your Kingdom!” so that we
too may enter into Heaven full of joy, now and forever. Amen.
Romanian original:
English translation: https://orthodoxreflections.com/akathist-to-saint-dismas-the-good-thief-on-the-cross/
Nikitas D. Alibrantis Emeritus Professor at the University of Strasbourg, former Professor at D.U.Th. Man is not content with...
