On the occasion of the tension that has been caused in recent days regarding the conduct of sacred services at the Holy Monastery of Panagia Myrtidiotissa, the Holy Metropolis of Kythera and Antikythera issued a press release on Saturday 29 March 2025, in which it makes clarifications and remarks. Read below:
HELLENIC REPUBLIC HOLY METROPOLIS OF KYTHERA & ANTI-CYTHERA PRESS RELEASE
Saturday 29 March 2025
After the intensity of these days regarding the ceremonies at the Holy Monastery of Our Lady of Myrtidiotissa, our Holy Metropolis, although it avoids making statements during the holy and solemn period of the Holy and Great TESARACOSIS, it is de facto forced, in order to avoid scandalizing the Kytheraic people, and not only, to point out the following:
1.
The Rev. After the glorious feast of the Sunday of Orthodoxy (March 9, 2025), at the Holy Monastery of Myrtidia, our Bishop Seraphim announced before the Mayor and the local authorities, members of the H.E.P.K.A., and the people of Christonimos that since the first week of Lent he has performed all the holy services, as every year. And he declared that he intends to hold the Divine Liturgy in the Monastery of Myrtidia during the remaining weeks of Lent, as he did during the previous 19 years of his Archpriesthood in Kythera.
2.
To this end, he set as a goal, addressing the Mayor, the President of the H.E.P.C.A. and the authorities present, the removal of the arbitrary and contrary to the Archaeological Law, marble plaques with the titles of the Municipality and the Chimney of Kythera and Antikythera, which are inappropriate and were fixed unethically on the old walls of seven (7) declared Archaeological Ecclesiastical Monuments.
3.
This order for the removal of the marble plaques was previously, 15 days before the Christmas celebration, set by the Priest and Spiritual Director of Myrtidiotissa for 18 years, Fr.Peter. And since this condition was not met, he was removed from the Myrtidia Monastery before Christmas 2024.
4.
Apart from His Eminence, the same word was repeated to the congregation of Myrtidiotissa by Archimandrite Paul, who succeeded Fr. Peter in the Chaplaincy of the Monastery. On the second Sunday of Lent (16 March 2025), Fr. Paul worked at Myrtidiotissa and before leaving for surgery, he announced to the congregation that Fr. Peter, according to his statement, will return to his priestly ministry in the Myrtidio Monastery, after the heads of the Municipality and the Church have removed these marble slabs, which offend and diminish these sacred archaeological monuments of 600, 300 and near-secondary years, and which never existed in the past.
5.
However, the competent authorities did not act after the statements of the Bishop and the Preacher - Ephimerion Fr. Paul, but they did not comply with the orders of the competent Ministry of Culture and the relevant Archaeological Service (three documents: 29/1/2025, no. 43094/2-2-2025 and No. 45100/12-3-2025). In the third document, the Head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Piraeus and Islands, Mrs. Anna Vasiliki Karapanagioti, notes the following: ’...the placement of these marble signs was carried out without the prior approval of the law of our service and causes aesthetic damage to the monuments, in some cases constitute damage, etc. (Law 4858/2021, Article 10). Based on the above, you must within five (5) days of receiving the present to remove these signs from the facades of the above temples, in the presence of a representative of our Service’. However, the above is to be avoided. «No voice and no hearing» from those responsible. Because they arbitrarily and unsupported claim that the Holy Shrines are their property and property, while only the Home, at present, has the administration and management of them according to the current law. (The above document was addressed on 12/03/2025 to the Home and notified to the Municipality of Kythera and the Kythera Police Department). If they adhered, as they should, to the Archaeological Law, which was indicated to them with the above documents, there would be no problem in the operational ministry. They would also have had the Sunday of the Pilgrimage of the Holy Cross (23 March) and the Service of the Fourth Salutation in Myrtidia.
6.
The responsibility of the dysfunction of our Holy Monasteries - Shrines, as mentioned above, is exclusively theirs (the Mayor and the President of the EEPKA). And do not shift it to our priests, who conscientiously, charitably and charitably serve most of them in two or more parishes. The Fourth Salutations were not held at Myrtidiotissa, since the appointed Priest, days ago, had committed himself to the parish of Drymon, where he performed the Service of the Fourth Salutations, and
7.
The Holy Metropolis of Kythera & Antikythera, finally, condemns the disrespectful behaviour and the heavy and impolite characterizations, with quotation marks and allusions, against its honoured and distinguished Clergymen, by persons who, respecting their office, ought to honour the bloodstained robe of the Orthodox Priest and not behave in a rude and uncontrolled manner.
Tomorrow, Sunday 4th of Lent (30 March 2025), the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at the Holy Monastery of Myrtidiotissa, according to the current schedule (Sunday before Sunday).
Happy and blessed continuation of Holy and Great Lent.
From the Holy Metropolis of Kythera & Antikythera
