Vatopedi monastery
The Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopedi (Greek: Βατοπέδι, pronounced [vatoˈpeði]) on Mount Athos, Greece, was built during the second half of the 10th century by three monks, Athanasius, Nicholas, and Antonius, from Adrianople, who were disciples of Athanasius the Athonite.
From then onwards, several buildings have been constructed, most of them were built during the Byzantine period and during the 18th and 19th centuries when the monastery reached its highest peak.
About 100 monks live in the monastery today, where extensive construction projects are underway to restore the larger buildings.
The monastery is open to males and male animals. No females may enter, except female cats are allowed[1] and female animals the size of chickens or smaller are allowed.[2]. Reservations to stay at the monastery are required in addition to the permit to enter Mount Athos.
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[edit] Sketes attached to Vatopedi
Two large Sketes (monastic style communities) are attached to Vatopedi: the Skete of Saint Andrew in Karyes and the Skete of Saint Demetrius near the main monastery. Other smaller sketes are also attached to the monastery.
[edit] Main buildings within the walls of the monastery
- The Katholikon (primary church), dedicated to the Annunciation of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary)
- The Refectory, or trapeza
- The Byzantine period clock tower
- The 10th century NE tower which now houses the monastery's library
[edit] Treasures held within the monastery
The Monastery of Vatopedi holds a belt held by believers to be the actual belt of the Theotokos, which she wore on earth and gave to Thomas the Apostle after her death and during her transition to heaven. The silver and jewel-encrusted reliquary containing the skull of St. John Chrysostom is kept in the Monastery and is credited by Eastern Orthodox Christians with miraculous healings. The monastery also contains the Iaspis, a chalice fashioned of a single piece of the precious stone jasper, and numerous icons.
Vatopedi's library preserves a medieval royal charter, the 13th-century Vatopedi Charter of Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria dedicated to the monastery. It was discovered in the monastery's archives in 1929.
The library holds 2,000 manuscripts and 35,000 printed books. Among its manuscripts are Uncial 063 and Uncial 0102.
- Other manuscripts
[edit] Land deal controversy
In September 2008, the monastery was implicated in a real estate scandal. The monastery is being accused of trading low-value land for high-value state property in a deal with the New Democracy government of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis. The cost to the state is believed to have been at least €100 million.
The financial writer Michael Lewis reports that a Greek parliamentary commission estimated the value of government property received by the monastery at one billion euros.[3]. Seen as the "poster children for greed and corruption,"[4] Michael Lewis, in his book Boomerang,[5] compares Father Arsenios and Father Ephraim, respectively, to the Enron executives Jeff Skilling and Ken Lay. Lewis details the building of a commercial real estate empire worth about $1 billion in efforts to restore Vatopedi to its former glory.
After the story became public in August 2008, the government cancelled the land deals and two ministers resigned, under huge pressure from the media and public[6]. Additionally, Parliament voted unanimously to set up a commission to investigate the deal.[7][8]. However, after investigations, the estimations of the public agencies for the exchanged real estate objects were found to have been in order[9].
In December 2010 a Court of Appeals found guilty and imposed a ten-month imprisonment (with three years suspension) to ex-judge Maria Psaltis on charges of misconduct and violations of judicial secrecy. The same penalty was issued to Abbot Ephraim and monk Arsenios on instigation[10]. As of December 2011, 3 years after the reveal of the alleged scandal, none of the two different investigating parliamentary commissions and various trials had found any of the persons involved guilty of illegal money transactions or real estate fraud [11]. Then, in late December 2011, the Abbot Ephraim was arrested, and jailed pending trial, for alleged fraud and embezzlement[12].
On January 11 2012, the Criminal Division of the Supreme Court accepted the proposal of the Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court Law Mr. Tsangas: it set aside the decision under which Psaltis, Ephraim, and Arsenios had each been sentenced to 10-month imprisonment (with three years suspended). The Supreme Court considered that the contested decision of the Court of Appeals had no legal justification and presented logical gaps, inconsistencies, and shortcomings. Moreover, the Supreme Court ruling that any disclosure of the outcome of the conference only a court is no longer a criminal offense [sic], which means that the three defendants will be treated under more favorable conditions when judged again by the court [13].
[edit] Miracle-working icons within the monastery
There are seven icons of the Mother of God in the monastery purported by believers to be miracle-working: Elaiovrytissa, Ktetorissa (Vimatarissa), Esphagmeni, Pantanassa, Pyrovolitheisa, Antiphonitria and Paramythia.[14]
[edit] References
- ^ "And on this island no women are allowed—no female animals of any kind, in fact, except for cats."
- ^ "No women are permitted to set foot on this peninsula (nor are female animals larger than chickens)."
- ^ Michael Lewis, "Beware of Greeks Bearing Bonds." Vanity Fair, 1 October, 2010.
- ^ Review of Michael Lewis’s ‘Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World’ Washington Post
- ^ Michael Lewis, Boomerang, Allen Lane, 2011
- ^ [1], Greek SKAI Television Documentary
- ^ Greek minister quits over scandal, BBC
- ^ Greek MPs vote to investigate Vatopedi monastery land deal, Herald Sun
- ^ [2], Greek SKAI Television Documentary
- ^ [3], Kathimerini Newspaper
- ^ [4], Greek SKAI Television Documentary
- ^ Greece jails Abbot Ephraim in Mount Athos fraud case, BBC
- ^ [5], Ta Nea, Newspaper
- ^ Icone della Ss.ma Madre di Dio – Hodigitria
[edit] External links
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Coordinates: 40°18′51″N 24°12′40″E / 40.31417°N 24.21111°E
