Witness of Orthodoxy. Panteleimon

WITNESS OF ORTHODOXY

SCHEMA-HIEROMONK PANTELEIMON

Abbot of Holy Transfiguration Monastery Boston, Massachusetts

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me.

St. John 16:2-3

THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY of the Church of Christ it has been pre-eminently the monasteries that have sprung to the defense of Orthodoxy in times when the Faith was threatened by defilement and heresy. Thus the monks defended icon-veneration against the iconoclasts in the 8th and 9th centuries, suffered persecution and martyrdom for their battle against the false unions of Lyons (1274) and Florence (1439), fought for Orthodox Hesychasm against the Latinizing rationalists of the 14th century. And today they are to be found in the front rank in the defense of genuine Orthodoxy against the new unionists.

Monasteries, too, have always been sources of spiritual refreshment and inspiration for the Orthodox flock. In America, the revitalization of an Orthodoxy that had long been losing its character under the influence of American "pluralism" and worldliness, has occurred largely under the inspiration of two monastic centers: Holy Trinity Russian Monastery near Jordanville, New York, and – in the last eight years – Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.1 The founder, abbot, and spiritual elder of the latter is Schema-Hieromonk Panteleimon.

___
1. For a descriptive account of this Monastery, see The Orthodox Word, 1967, no. 1, p. 33.


Of Greek descent, he was born and raised in Detroit, going at the age of 21 to Mt. Athos, where he was tonsured a monk and received the Great Schema. He returned to America with the express intention of founding an Orthodox monastery and transplanting Athonite monasticism to American soil. Since 1960, when it was founded, Holy Transfiguration Monastery under his direction has become not only a genuine Orthodox monastery of the strictest type, but also a living center for the actual realization of the "spiritual renewal" of Orthodoxy in America that Orthodox intellectuals and journalists only talk about. Already it exerts an influence far beyond its modest size and means. It has taken the lead in the movement of serious and aware believers into the fold of the Russian Church Outside of Russia, now the only Orthodox Church remaining in America – and the entire world – whose hierarchy stands fully behind traditional Orthodoxy and against the approaching "union," and has published the best "apologies" for that Church in the English language (see back cover); it has inspired and helped the new Orthodox missionary movement in America that strives to build on a strict traditional foundation; it has worked for the purity of Orthodoxy as well in its handicrafts – beeswax candles, fine church inconse, distribution and mounting of icon reproductions in traditional style – as in its letters and translations (many of which have appeared in The Orthodox Word) presenting the pure sources of traditional Orthodoxy. Father Panteleimon himself – although still in his early thirties – is a spiritual director not only for his own monastery, but also for many of those who visit it and for numerous followers and friends in Greece, where he travels every year.

It is against such men as these that the lukewarm, the apostates and unionists of all ages, have taken arms, denouncing their evangelical zeal as "fanaticism" and seeking to uproot their influence by whatever means possible – by slander, persecution, martyrdom. It is such people that Archbishop Iakovos of North America doubtless had in mind when he said this year that "while monks have given us our theology and ecclesiastical arts, when you evaluate their services and disservices, you come to doubtful conclusions. I, for one, am inclined to want only the positive services that [married] priests can make" (quoted in The Vineyard, 1968, no. 2).

Father Panteleimon has already suffered ridicule and much worse for his persistence and zeal in the service of Orthodoxy. Now, however, his witness for Orthodoxy has produced a stronger and more perilous reaction. He has been, since November 9 of this year, the captive of the Greek government.

On that day, as he was preparing to leave Greece after a visit of some two months, he was stopped at the Athens airport and prevented from departing. His luggage was searched and he was accused of attempting to smuggle out of Greece the religious articles found there: some icons, old books, and a pewter chalice. Accusations of theft were also made but could not be sustained, since there was proof that all articles had been purchased or donated. Fr. Panteleimon's departure was delayed pending the obtaining of official permission from the Archeological Ministry to export these articles. Despite the fact that the customs office found only one icon of sufficient value to forbid its export (Fr. Panteleimon accordingly donated this icon to the Convent of the Annunciation on Enusai, Chios), the Archeological Ministry delayed its decision until December 2. But before then the real nature of the case, and of Fr. Panteleimon's "crime," began to reveal itself.


Father Panteleimon


On Wednesday morning, November 20, Fr. Panteleimon was summoned by the Archeological Ministry for questioning. A taxi was called for him, but no sooner had it left the Pateras house, where he had been staying, than two men in street clothes forced their way in and took him to a police station. Here he was put in a chair and left for two hours. Then he was taken to the Neo Ionis Security Station where for two more hours he was questioned. He was accused of stealing the right hand of St. John the Russian from Mt. Athos and a wood carving of the Annunciation. He was threatened with physical violence and denied the right to call the American Embassy or a lawyer. Then he was asked (as the religious question finally intruded) why he had changed to the Old Calendar? Who had brainwashed him to become a monk? Finally he was released.

For a second round of questioning he was summoned to the same station the next day; this time his hostess, Mrs. Pateras, insisted on accompanying him. He was forced to remain there this time for eight hours. He was accused of setting fire to the Monastery of St. Panteleimon on Mt. Athos, of having a mistress in Boston to whom he had written of this, of being the leader of a smuggling ring. Fr. Panteleimon calmly stated the falseness of all accusations and proved that he was in Thessalonika during the fire.

A third round of interrogation, lasting three hours, followed on Friday morning, November 22, during which it was revealed that the accusations against him had been made in a letter from America which he was forbidden to see. At the end of this whole ordeal, the police Lieutenant, Mr. Mavroides, said in the presence of Mrs. Irene Pateras, "Father, I have one counsel to make to you. Have it in good with Iakovos [Archbishop of North and South America]." To Fr. Panteleimon's question, "Was I brought here to be tried for my faith, or for crimes supposedly committed by me?" he only replied: "Never you mind tend to what I said to you." At this time also Fr. Panteleimon was asked in mockery, "How should we addressyou? 'Your Eminence'?" Another said, "No, he should be addressed, 'Your Reverence.' The chief interrogator said with contempt: "He is nothing! He is an Old Calendarist!" As a result of these interrogations, no charges were filed – their purpose being evidently harassment and nothing else.

After Fr. Panteleimon had been detained yet another week, on December 2 the Ministry of Archeology made its decision: all the articles except two icons of folk art were "Greek archeological treasures" and could not leave the country – even the pewter chalice purchased for $17, a copy of a Russian icon painted last year and purchased for $50, and Russian books printed in the 18th century in Western Europe! On December 7 formal charges of smuggling were made and trial set for December 21.

The trial itself occurred on Saturday, December 21, at about 9a.m. The courtroom was filled to capacity, with many monks, nuns, and priests in attendance, and people stood outside. The witnesses for the prosecution only testified in behalf of the accused. The attorney for the prosecution finally exclaimed, "This is the first time I've seen an accused without accusers!" At this all in the courtroom burst into applause and tried to run to kiss Fr. Panteleimon's hand. Once order was restored two defense witnesses testified, whereupon the judges said, "That's enough." There was no case against Fr. Panteleimon.

Notwithstanding this, after a recess the judges gave their decision: Case postponed indefinitely – on the ground of the discrepancy between the two archeological authorities over the value of the articles concerned. The decision rendered all speechless. It became patently clear that there was no question of any crime at all.

Clearly, there is something going on behind the scenes here. To see what this is, one must first understand something of the situation today in the Greek Church – both in Greece itself as well as in America.

This situation has already become so notorious as to attract the attention of non-Greeks and non-Orthodox. The December 4 issue of the widely-circulated Protestant "ecumenical" weekly, The Christian Century, contains two editorials on this subject: Archbishop Ieronymos: Ecclesiastical Usurper, and Archbishop Iakovos Acts to Suppress Criticism. The first describes the way in which the new Archbishop of Athens has "purified" the Church of Greece: by removing his opponents from office, often resorting to the worst kind of calumny to do so, with the aid of a special church tribunal which requires no evidence and allows no defense; by suppressing the publication of the protest against this by the theological faculty of the University of Athens; by appointing 30 new bishops from among his own supporters. The editorial does not go into the many other means being used to achieve the same end, nor does it specify who the "opponents" of Archbishop Ieronymos are; in fact, the "liberal," "ecumenical" Archbishop of Athens is attempting to crush the opposition of traditional Orthodoxy – this is why the mail of noted "conservatives," both clergy and laymen, is censored, and why the voice of traditional Greek Orthodoxy, the newspaper Typos, has been virtually silenced by strict censorship of anti-ecumenical articles and by suspension of its editor.

As for Archbishop Iakovos, The Christian Century takes him to task for his recent suspension of Fr. Eusebius Stephanou, who had voiced rather mild criticism of the Archbishop in his monthly, The Logos. Here again, one could cite many more striking incidents the editorial does not mention: Archbishop Iakovos' continuing efforts to cause canonical difficulties for Fr. Neketas Palassis and for Fr. Panteleimon himself, both of whom are now outside his jurisdiction and within the Russian Church Outside of Russia; and the constant pressure exerted by the Archdiocese upon Greek parishes of the Old Calendar jurisdiction in America and Canada. And yet again: it is the conservatives and traditionalists, as well as those who lean even slightly in that direction, who occasion the wrath of the "ecumenical" Archbishop.

The same thing may be found in the case of yet a third "ecumencal" hierarch – Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople. Several monks who refused to commemorate him have already been expelled from Mt. Athos, which falls within the Patriarch's jurisdiction, and now a list has been compiled of 30 monks who are soon to be expelled a list – that includes the most articulate and outspoken traditionalists and antiunionists.

To what does all this point, and what is Fr. Panteleimon's role in it? We are witnessing today in the Greek Church a virtual "ecumenical" reign of terror, in which all who dare to raise theit voices against the ecumenical movement and the (evidently) fast-approaching "union," are to be quickly and effectively silenced. It is therefore not in the least sur prising that Fr. Panteleimon, a leading and increasingly influential representative of traditional Orthodoxy in America, should experience such persecution in the land ruled by the government which uncanonically placed Archbishop Ieronymos in office.

In all of this there is a lesson for us: the true face of ecumenism begins to show itself. All previous "unions" to which Orthodoxy has been subjected have been enforced at the cost of Orthodox blood; the new "union" is not to be an exception. The "unionist" hierarchs loudly proclaim that "nothing separates" them from Latins and Protestants; are we not also entitled to ask them – what, then, separates you from our present-day confessors of the unchanging Orthodox Faith? Almost nothing, indeed, now separates apostate hierarchs from heretics; but it is Orthodoxy itself that separates them from the Orthodox faithful.

As the above pages were being printed, word came (December 31) that Fr. Panteleimon had been released evidently under pressure of the avalanche of letters and telegrams sent to the U.S.State Department and the Greek Government by Fr. Panteleimon's friends throughout the world. He has left Greece and his 7-week ordeal is at an end; but the situation that produced it remains the same. A letter Fr. Panteleimon wrote to his Monastery in America at the height of his ordeal (December 10) may be taken as a model of the Orthodox Christian response to the new persecutions of ecumenist "love".

They brought the doctor Sunday evening and he found my blood pressure very low; that is why I am dizzy when I get up on my feet. I thus spend most of my time lying down. I have started to translate the life of Holy New Martyr Anastasios and the Monk Daniel. Received all your letters and wept. People are calling from all over Greece to ask how I am. The Old Calendarist monasteries have all found out and are having vigils. They all congratulate me and say that I should rejoice that the new persecution against the Faithful has started from me – I weep, for I know my sins. I may be innocent of the things they accuse me of but I have many sins, and now I pay – just like in the life of St. Ephraim the Syrian. I thank our dear God that tears have come back to my eyes and I weep again like ancient days that I knew. Greetings to all. I try to liturgize daily but am not able any more. Glory be to God for all things. Pray, dear children.

With love of our Saviour Jesus and His Pure Mother,
Your Captive Elder.