Reports from Thessaloniki, Greece, indicate that an Orthodox Christian monk has been hospitalized following a violent altercation at a monastic sanctuary in the northern region of the country. This incident, according to reliable sources, is an extension of a decades-long religious dispute.
The hospital officials confirmed that the monk is being treated for facial and upper body injuries. He was transferred from Mount Athos, a self-governed monastic territory located approximately 175 kilometers to the east. This region, steeped in centuries of tradition, houses monks dedicated to prayer and spiritual life, enforcing a ban on women entering its sacred grounds.
At the heart of this enduring conflict is the Esphigmenou Monastery. The brotherhood residing there has persistently defied court and church orders to vacate the premises. They refuse to recognize the authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the spiritual center of the Eastern Orthodox Church based in Istanbul, Turkey.
This religious rift has led to repeated violent confrontations, legal disputes, and supply blockades between the defiant Brotherhood and church-appointed replacements. The controversy, which was ignited in the early 1970s, has been further complicated by court decisions against the rebel monks. Despite this, they continue to be supported by donations from external groups.
According to monastic authorities, the latest incident occurred late Thursday. An officially recognized monk was reportedly attacked by rivals wielding gardening tools while performing routine work at an administrative building. Father Bartholomew, the abbot of the new brotherhood, revealed that the monk sustained injuries to his face and ribs as a result of punches and blows with a wooden object. A description of the alleged attacker has been provided to police, and a Thessaloniki public prosecutor has been formally notified.
In response to these allegations, the breakaway brotherhood released an online statement denying the accusations, stating, “It is a well-known tactic for these perpetrators to play the victims. They feigned injury in a performance worthy of an acting class.” There is an ongoing tension that needs a peaceful resolution.
