The notice of his indictment came as a complete surprise, says Fr. George Kourris of the Church of the Archangel Michael in Platanistasa.
Since the mid-nineteenth century, there has been a representation of the Antiochian Patriarchate in Russia’s capital, and indeed, despite the great distance between Russia and Syria, Russian history has been linked with Antioch at critical times.
Zographou, built in the 10th century, is one of the 20 ruling monasteries on the Holy Mountain. Over the centuries, it has been a stronghold of Orthodox spirituality in the Bulgarian tradition. It houses priceless manuscripts, icons, and relics.
After the Divine Liturgy, three abbots from different Greek monasteries spoke about the spiritual life and shared many instructive stories that strengthened the faith and spiritual resolve of all present.
Hieromonk Laurus (Arkhipov)
It wasn’t without God’s providence that I ended up here. Thus, from Sretensky Monastery in the center of Moscow, I wound up in the Northern Thebaid, which I’m very glad about. At the same time, there are plenty of opportunities for humility.