Letter To Congressman

To Congressman Lynch,

My name is Theodore Karakostas and I am writing to you about a matter that I consider to be of great importance. This has to do with the unrestrained behavior of Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland who over the years has become notorious for her pro war and interventionist activities. At the present time, this woman is said by various news reports to be interfering with the Monastic Republic of Mount Athos. Mount Athos is one of the great spiritual centers of the Eastern Orthodox Church and is located in the Greek province of Macedonia. 

There are twenty active Monasteries and some Sketes on what Orthodox Christians refer to as the “holy mountain”. Most of the Monasteries are Greek as Mount Athos is located in Greece. There are numerous Monks however who are of non Greek ancestry. Many of the Monasteries include converts who are American, Western European, Australian, African, or Asian. The Holy Mountain is an example of Monks of many nationalities living together communally in brotherhood and who follow the daily cycles of prayer and liturgical services of the Eastern Orthodox Church. There are three non Greek Monasteries (Serbian, Bulgarian, and Russian) and this seems to be what has attracted the attention of Nuland.

The Monastery of Saint Panteleimon is Russian and Russian Monks have lived on the holy mountain for one thousand years. Allegations have been put forward that the Russian Monks are in service to the foreign policy of the Russian government.This is absurd and ridiculous. In the climate of anti Russian hysteria, it appears ALL Russians are viewed collectively as agents of Moscow and not seen as actual individuals. This is the definition of bigotry and racism. 

Monks of all nationalities have been living on Mount Athos for centuries without incident. This includes the Russian Monks. To suggest that the Russian Monks are promoting a Russian takeover of the holy mountain is like suggesting that Germany or Argentina were conspiring to take over the Vatican because the last two Popes were of German and Argentinian heritage. The Greeks are always going to have a numerical advantage on Mount Athos so it is utterly false to suggest the Russians are planning on taking over Mount Athos. 

Victoria Nuland and other American officials have no business intervening on Mount Athos. The Monastic Republic of Mount Athos is dedicated to the honor of Panagia (in Greek this means, most holy) the Mother of God. It is a sacred place and the 
first Monastery was established in 963 by the pious and Christ loving Emperor of blessed Memory Nikephoras Phokas. The Monks of Mount Athos have historically served as guardians of Orthodox faith and worship and have given their lives as martyrs in witness to the Orthodox faith during the Crusades and under the infidel rule of the Ottoman Empire. 

Mount Athos is a very sacred place for Orthodox Christians and many of us are becoming very angry that the garden of Panaghia (as Greeks call it) is becoming gradually politicized by ambitious non believing and power hungry officials such as Victoria 
Nuland and others like her. There are those of us who are also outraged that the sovereignty of Greece is gradually being violated by Nuland and other American officials. The holy Mountain is an autonomous part of the Hellenic Republic and is accountable under Greek law to the government in Athens. It is not accountable to the United States which as a non Orthodox country has no business or rights there.

Since 2018, the Department of State has been intervening blatantly in the affairs of the Orthodox Church. It has encouraged a schism that was created by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and it is an incontestable fact that the Patriarch is being propped up over the Orthodox Churches by Washington. Patriarch Bartholomew has challenged the ecclesiology of the Orthodox Church and claims power and authority that he does not rightfully possess. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt supported Patriarch Bartholomew’s claims in the name of combatting the Russians. 

The activities of the State Department in the affairs of the Orthodox Church (chiefly, the Greek speaking Churches) and on Mount Athos constitute a violation of religious freedom and have an impact on Orthodox Christians everywhere (including myself) 
who will have to make decisions about their spiritual future as the schism which Patriarch Bartholomew created with the assistance of his American friends has shown no signs of abating. One of the outcomes of this political meddling has been to prevent the Orthodox Church from using its influence to end the war in Ukraine. 

I respectfully ask that you give consideration to the issue regarding Mount Athos. Sacred places should not be disturbed by secular political interests. Monastics on Mount Athos should not be expelled because of their ethnic heritage. Mount 
Athos is a sacred place dedicated to the Mother of God. 

The politicization of the holy mountain can only be seen by Orthodox Christians in America and around the world as profoundly disrespectful to the Mother of God and to Jesus Christ himself. It is a disrespect for the monastic life which is based on a life of prayer, asceticism, and fasting. It is based on a withdrawal from the world. Monastics in all parts of the Orthodox world strive to achieve a level of holiness and spend much of their time praying for the future of the world. Its activities are strictly spiritual, and not political. 

It is morally unacceptable for any government to attempt to bring the holy mountain under its influence. I hope you will consider asking the State Department to cease and desist from engaging in any activities on the holy mountain,from commenting on any of the Monasteries, and from further violating the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic.

This letter is written during the Orthodox Christian season of Pascha (Easter) when Orthodox Christians greet each other with the joyous phrases “Christ is Risen” and “Truly he is risen”. We would like our holy places to be properly respected and treated
with reverence. Mount Athos belongs to the Panagia which Orthodox Christians believe was gifted to her by her son and our God and savior Jesus Christ. It is not a strategic base or asset. 

Thank You 

Theodore Karakostas