Resolution of the Priestly Meeting of the Holy Metropolis of Kythera and Antikythera

Today, on Sunday, November 17, 2024, at 11.30 a.m., the monthly Priestly Synaxis was held in the Diocese of Kythera, at the invitation of the Venerable Monsignor of Kythera. Our Metropolitan Seraphim. After the customary prayer, there followed a reading of an Agopatric discourse on the feast of the Theotokos' Presentation and a constructive discussion followed. Afterwards, our Assembly was informed about the recent decision of the Council of State (Council of State) on the Holy Shrines of Kythera.

After that, reference was made a) to the statement of the Ven. Seraphim, which we made after the Holy Feast of Our Lady of Myrtidiotissa (24/9), and the response of the President of the Domestic Property (E.E.E.P.K.A.) Mr.Evangelos Venardos. b) In the joint statement of the Mayor and the President after the announcement of the decision of the Council and the response of His Eminence to the above statement. And c) «Prohibition of the stay of persons in the Holy Shrines of Myrtidia and Agia Moni without approval» (No. of the decision of the E.E.P.K.A. 75/2024).

Following this, our Priestly Synaxis adopted the following resolution:

1. We express our deep regret and our protest as to the content of the two texts in question (reply of the President of the Chamber of Deputies to the statement of Mons. Our Bishop and the joint statement of the Mayor and the President after the decision of the Council), the arrogant tone, the lack of respect and the underestimation of the decisions of the Church institutions (the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, our local Church and our Bishop). Those who have read their statements described them as inappropriate and provocative.
2. We were also unpleasantly impressed by the statements at the swearing in of the Board of Directors of the Chamber, both the President of the H.E.P.C.A., after his re-election, and the Mayor, which followed. Both of them, referring to our Holy Shrines, spoke as masters and absolute rulers and rulers, and not as accomplices and «deacons», according to the ecclesiastical expression. No reference to our present Bishop. In fact, the mayor, who, according to the current decree 5/2017 has no institutional role in the administration and management of the Holy Shrines, we made an announcement for the maintenance of the wrestling and circumstantial miraculous Icon of Our Lady of Myrtidiotissa, without any prior consultation with the present Bishop, since according to the mentor of the E.E.P.K.A. George Kasimatis, the divine worship and the sacred objects of the Divine Worship are arranged by the relevant Metropolitan.
3. In fact, he was unhappy about the fact that the President of Enchoria did not mention the Bishop at all, talking about the activities in the Holy Shrines and thanking his colleagues in the E.E.P.C.A. and in the Ecclesiastical Councils of Myrtidia and Agia Moni, all of them by name, while His Eminence is also the President of these Ecclesiastical Councils. Does not our Metropolitan take care of the Divine Worship and the canonical operation of our Holy Shrines, since this is what he has left and did not accompany the most ancient print of the Holy Icon of Our Lady of Myrtidiotissa to Crete and Mani - Messinia? And when the President called upon the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to present him with a silver Icon of Our Lady of Myrtidiotissa, the General kindly reminded him that the Icon is offered on behalf of the Holy Shrine by the Bishop and not by a layman.
4. We protest against the authoritarian and arrogant mentality and behaviour in the Church - Monastic area. Two (2) Mayors and Presidents of Communities have preceded us, but also several Presidents of the E.E.P.K.A., during the 40 years since the issuance of P.D. 272/85, which gave the management of the Holy Shrines to the laity and the older ones of us never noticed a similar behavior, even during the Presidency of the current Mayor. They exercised the management of the movable and immovable property, doing the necessary work, and so far. They cooperated with the Bishop - President and the Church Council and did not interfere in the Holy Shrines, as is done today. It is the responsibility of our Metropolitan to guard the sanctity of the Monastic Holy Shrines and to decide which pilgrim should stay and who should minister (Priest, Priest, Prelate, etc.), in cooperation with the Ecclesiastical Council of each Holy Shrine. It is worth noting that during the presidency of the Doctor Mr. Kosmas Megalokonomou, the Ecclesiastical Council called for decisions on the works under consideration, recorded them in a Minute, as suggested by the President, submitted them in writing to the H.E.P.C.A. and the Committee of the Church approved them and implemented them. The Church Council also signed the following year's budget. Admittedly it was the most ideal case of a Home Committee with excellent cooperation. Something that does not happen today, since during the past term of the EPC the members of the Church Councils were elected without the Bishop - President. We have reached the other extreme.
5. When the decision of the Council was signed, the reasoning and the decision will be examined and assessed by the legal staff of the Holy Synod and our Holy Metropolis as to whether and to what extent the request of the bodies of the Ecclesiastical Administration (the Holy Synod and the Metropolis of Kythera), concerning the judgement of the unconstitutionality and irregularity of Article 15 of the contested P.D. 5/2017, then (the legal staff) will report to the Holy Synod. As is well known, a convicting decision constitutes a legal precedent and «the precedent» for future similar cases. Our Local Church, which belongs to the Autocephalous Church of Greece, will comply with its relevant Decisions.
6. We wish to inform the Christ-filled People of our Holy Metropolis, that the Rev. Our Bishop Seraphim, by his character, has not divided, nor does he divide the People of God, as official lips accuse him. His ministry of about 20 years in our God-given Province has shown that he is a Bishop of love, kindness, leniency, forgiveness, forgiveness and great patience and patience. Do others divide the people, driven by selfish motives and expediency, sometimes supporting one and sometimes the other? And
7. Whereupon to what end are the thunderings and the atmosphere of victorious or lost battle between Christian brothers?;

The Ierapetraion of Kythera & Antikythera