♱ The faithful of St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Adelaide, South Australia, celebrated Matins and the Divine Liturgy outside on Sunday, March 31, after their church suffered severe fire damage.
The blaze occurred the evening before, the Archdiocese of Australia announced, reports vema.com.au.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and managed to extinguish the flames quickly, though the church nevertheless suffered considerable damage. Investigators do not believe the fire was intentional. “The parishioners of the Parish of Saint Andrew are devastated, but at the same time determined to help each in their own way to repair the damage.”
Bishop Silouan of Sinope, Vicar of Adelaide, offered his condolences:
“Tragedies are always unwanted and unexpected, even if, with God’s help, they are accepted. During this sacred period of Great Lent our thoughts and prayers are intensified, while being immersed in even more compunction. The Church will be rebuilt because the Church is Christ. The Church is never destroyed because it is crucified and glorified, humbled and exalted. The Church is forever excelling in brilliance through the radiance of its perpetual resurrection.
The parish faithful “are unwavering in their determination to soon restore their church to its former beauty and glory and to beautify it even more for the glory of God.”
💭 The European Commission is reportedly in close communication with authorities amid an ongoing row between the Ethiopian Government in Addis Ababa and the ethnic Greek community in the country.
Ethiopia is accused of illegally seizing a prominent school set up by the country’s ethnic minority Greek community, with the establishment having since become one of Ethiopia’s largest educational institutions.
Writing to the EC, Greek MEP Manolis Kefalogiannis described the actions of the Ethiopian Government as “deplorable” before demanding to know what steps Brussels is taking to help combat the taking over of the school.
Responding to the question, European Union foreign affairs bigwig Josep Borrell thanked Kefalogiannis for raising the issue before confirming that the EC was working with Greek authorities regarding the seizure.
“The EU Delegation in Addis Ababa is in close contact with the Greek Embassy regarding this issue and has offered its services and support to outreach the government of Ethiopia,” he said, adding that the European External Action Service, its diplomatic arm, was also working on the issue.
Borrell added that the EC hopes a “suitable solution for the Greek community of Ethiopia can be found”, insisting that the EU would “continue to monitor the situation very closely”.
The situation in Addis Ababa is just one of many issues facing the EU in Africa in recent months, with European powers struggling to keep up with challenges on continent.
Apart from the ongoing coups in Niger and Gabon – both of which were formerly within the so-called “Françafrique” sphere of influence of France over former French and Belgian colonies in sub-Saharan Africa – the bloc has also battled to deal with the continued influence of Islamism.
Speaking on behalf of the EC recently, Borrell condemned an Islamist-linked attack on a school in Uganda in June.
“The EU was shocked by the appalling attack on the school in Western Uganda,” he said, adding that the bloc was now “deeply concerned” regarding the what it said was the deteriorating security situation in the region.
💭 Yes! Behind this conspiracy, there is Turkey, the antichrist, who is the guardian of the evil Oromo PM of Orthodox Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali. 100%!
☪ Antichrist Turkey is the historical enemy of Orthodox Christian Ethiopia.
♱ Orthodox Greece + Armenia are historical friends and brothers of Orthodox Christian Ethiopia and Ethiopians.
As soon as the father of the barbarian Abiy Ahmed Ali – Mengstu Haile Mariam, who was drunk with the red-terror blood of Orthodox Christians – came to power in the 1970s Mariam, the first thing he did was, to expell the Orthodox Christian Armenians and Greeks who had settled in Ethiopia for many centuries. Let’s remember that the evil monster Abiy Ahmed Ahmed was exactly born in this era of Red Terror.
😈 Erdogan & Turkey’s Paramilitary Organization That Wants To Exterminate Christians | Is Evil Abiy Ahmed fleeing to Antichrist Turkey?
The Turkish Cypriots have begun construction of a road that they want to go through the UN controlled buffer zone that divides Turks and Greeks. The UN has objected to this, arguing that it will destabilize the fragile peace that has been maintained for decades. Turkish Cypriot forces attacked UN peacekeepers, seriously injuring three peacekeepers. The Cypriot Turks also used bulldozers to drive out UN vehicles. According to Al-Monitor:
Turkish Cypriot forces “manhandled” UN peacekeepers, while Turkish Cypriot bulldozers moved UN trucks, cement structures and barbed wire in Sector 4 of UN zone. Three peacekeepers were seriously injured, but no shots were fired, Reuters reported.
The UN mission in Cyprus said its peacekeepers were physically attacked as they tried to block “unauthorised construction work” near Pyla, the only village where Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots live alongside each other.
The Greek City Times reports that the Turkish Cypriots want the road to connect the “Turkish Cypriot village of Arsos in the north with the Greek Cypriot village of Pyla, located south of the buffer zone within the Greek Cypriot south.” This buffer zone region is where the internationally recognized government of the island is located. If the Turks encroach on this buffer zone, it will shatter the already brittle peace, and make the reality of war between Greek and Turk very close. The buffer zone’s status quo has been maintained under the U.N. mission’s mandate since 1974 when Turkey did a military intervention in the region after a coup attempt by Greek junta-backed supporters pushed for union with Greece. Turkish intervention caused a divide in the country, between the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government and a Turkish state that is only recognized by Turkey. Omer Celik, spokesman for Turkey’s ruling AKP party, expressed his defense for the creation of the road and condemned what he called the “unacceptable” attitude of the UN peacekeepers. “The attitude of the UN peacekeeping force serving in Cyprus … was unacceptable and extremely wrong,” Celik wrote on Twitter, now rebranded as X. He stated that the UN’s position “aimed at pleasing the Greek Cypriot side” and “has damaged the reputation” of the UN mission in Cyprus. Turkey argues that the road has no ill-will behind it, but is to make it easier for the Turks of Pyla to go the Turkish side of the country. Pavlos Marinakis, a representative for the government of Greece, stated today:
Greece and Cyprus will be together in this self-evident battle of legitimacy and law . We are not going to tolerate such behaviors and of course we have a series of public condemnations at the world level from the United States of America, officials of the European Union. We will continue in this direction in order to defend the self-evident rights of the Republic of Cyprus and the rule of law”,
The Mediterranean is like Eastern Europe — an atmosphere filled with flammable gas that will combust into a violent conflagration at any moment. In other words, war between Greek and Turk is inevitable.
☪ The Chios Massacre : The Worst Atrocity Committed by the Ottoman Turks
The Chios massacre of 1822 was perhaps the worst atrocity committed by the Ottomans against Greeks during the Greek War of Independence.
Approximately three-quarters of the population of 120,000 were killed, enslaved, or died of disease after thousands of Turkish troops landed on the eastern Aegean island to end a rebellion against Ottoman rule.
One of history’s most tragic and comprehensive acts of genocide takes place on the island of Chios in 1822. The Greek War of Independence begins in 1821. But the Orthodox population of peaceful and prosperous Chios, lying just off the coast of Turkey, finds itself caught between the competing nationalist ambitions of the old Turkish Ottoman Empire and the fledgling new state of Greece. A year later, during the Massacres around 20,000 islanders are hanged, butchered, starved or tortured to death. Untold thousands more are raped, deported and enslaved. The Greek word katastrofi – also meaning ‘destruction’ and ‘ruin’ – is usually used to describe these events.
The island itself is devastated In addition to setting fires, the troops were ordered to kill all infants under three years old, all males 12 years and older, and all females 40 and older except those willing to convert to Islam.
Those too old or too young to run for cover in the hills are murdered in their homes while about 15,000 Turkish and Samian troops are killed in clashes. Corpses fill the streets and clog the harbor. When they can find no more Christians to kill, any Christian buildings, farms, churches or monasteries are burnt or destroyed.
However, young women, boys and girls are taken alive for their value as slaves and shipped to the mainland.
Around 2,000 women, children and priests seek sanctuary in the Byzantine Nea Moni monastery in the mountains – founded by Constantine Monamacus in 1042-1048. Eventually the doors to Nea Moni burst open and all inside are slaughtered or burnt alive when the building is set on fire – many of their skulls and bones being displayed to this day at the monastery.
Rather than fall into the hands of the Turks, many women commit mass suicide by jumping from the cliffs with infants in their arms.
Tens of thousands of survivors dispersed throughout Europe to become part of what would become known as the Chian Diaspora.
A horrified Europe responds to the atrocity with shock
During the year 1822, European capitals were inundated with reports about a massacre of the Christian population of Chios. The island, a few kilometres from the mainland of Asia Minor in the eastern Aegean, and the supposed birthplace of the ancient poet Homer, had become the scene of one of the bloodiest episodes of the Greek War of Independence. At the time, Greece belonged to the Ottoman Empire.
The massacre shocked Europe, and protesters highlighted the atrocity with many famous artists dedicating works to this heinous event.
One of the greatest works of the great French painter Eugene Delacroix was a depiction of the Massacre of Chios, the purpose of which was to raise awareness throughout Europe of the horrors and atrocities committed by the Ottomans on the island. Furthermore, Victor Hugo’s poem about the massacre also highlights the brutality suffered at the hands of the Ottomans.
👉 Courtesy: Schoebat.com
💭 My Note: This was STATE TERRORISM and the birthplace of democracy destroyed ….. Orthodox Christian Greeks murdered for their faith. Western Edomite Anglo-Saxons and the French didn’t want to help Greek Christians.
And the History repeats itself now. Day by day same Massacre and killings continue. This hideous massacre on Chios is repeating itself in OUR times,,,,
Since November 4, 2020 The Turks Helped the fascist Oromo regime of Ethiopia to massacre more than 1 million Orthodox Christians
In the middle ages, Christian Europeans were searching for Prester John in Ethiopia, for their spiritual allies across the Ethiopian Ocean aka Indian Ocean, while anti-christian Europeans and the Ottoman Turks were massacring Christians in the Middle East. In the 16th century these Turks and Europeans ound the Gallas/Oromos and Somalis between Indonesia and Madagascar, moved them north – and settled them in the Horn of Africa. Since then Jihad has been waged again and again against non-Galla-Oromos and ancient Orthodox Christians of Ethiopia. They even were able to wipe out 28 idigeneous Ethiopian tribes completely.
500 years ago the Ottoman Turks, together with the Somalis and Oromos of Africa massacred more than three million African Christians of Ethiopia. 300 years later, the Turks slaughtered as many as 1.5 million Armenians in the #ArmenianGenocide. Today, the Turks massacred Armenians in Azeirbajan, they even travelled accross Africa to work together with their natural allies — Somalis and Oromos– and are again bombing and starving to death millions of ancient African Christians of Ethiopia in the # TigrayGenocide.
💭 Can you see the similarities between the Soumela St.Mary Monastery and the Mariam Dengelat St. Mary Monastery of Tigray, Ethiopia? On November, 2020 more than 100 Orthodox Christians were massacred by Turkish-allied evil leader of Ethiopia.
➡ CNN Investigation of Massacre at Maryam Dengelat Church in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region
💭 The courtyard of Panagia Soumela Monastery was recently turned into a nightclub for an advertising video clip, causing outrage in the Orthodox world.
The controversial video clip, with a DJ playing loud electronic music in the courtyard of the historic monastery and people dancing, had many Orthodox Christians reacting in anger.
Many comments in social media speak of the desecration of the historic monastery as along with the music, church bells can be heard in the background.
Some even demanded explanations from Turkish authorities, as the historic monastery had essentially been turned into a nightclub.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry said, on Monday, images showing a band dancing to electronic music at the former Orthodox Christian Sumela Monastery in Turkey were “offensive” and “a desecration” of the monument, Reuters reports.
The Ministry called on Turkish authorities “to do their utmost to prevent such acts from being repeated” and to respect the site, a candidate for UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites.
“The recent images that were displayed on social media, in which a foreign band seems to be dancing disco in the area of the Historical Monastery of Panagia Soumela, are a desecration of this Monument,” it said.
Turkish officials were not immediately available for comment.
Founded in the 4th century, Sumela is a monastic complex built into a sheer cliff above the Black Sea forest in eastern Turkey. It was long ago stripped of its official religious status and operates as a museum administered by the Culture Ministry in Turkey.
Thousands of tourists and Orthodox Christian worshippers journey to the monastery annually.
In 2010, Turkish authorities allowed the first Orthodox liturgy since ethnic Greeks were expelled in 1923 as part of a population exchange between Greece and Turkey. In 2015, the Sumela Monastery was shut for restoration and re-opened to tourists in 2019.
A liturgy to mark the Feast Day of the Virgin Mary was allowed in 2020 and 2021.
“It is surprising that the permit was given to the band, as the Monastery of Panagia Soumela opens only for pilgrims,” the Greek Foreign Ministry said. “These images are offensive and add to a series of actions by the Turkish authorities against World Heritage Sites,” its statement said, without elaborating.
Greece and Turkey disagree on a range of issues from airspace to maritime zones in the eastern Mediterranean and ethnically split Cyprus.
Expressing an important value among the places you should go to in Trabzon, one of the most beautiful cities of the Black Sea, Sumela Monastery was built on steep cliffs in Altındere Village located within the borders of Maçka district of Trabzon. It is known by the name of “Mama Maria” among the people. Located approximately 300 meters above Altındere village, the Virgin Mary was built in accordance with the tradition of steep cliffs, forests, and caves, which are traditional monastery construction sites. The monastery, which was founded in reference to the Virgin Mary, took the name Sumela from the word molasses, which means black.
Etymology of the Name Sumela
It is understood that the name of Sumela comes from the word “molasses” meaning black, black darkness in the local language of the years when the monastery was built, and the name of the region is Oros Melas. The original name of the monastery is “Panagia Sou Melas”. In the Ottoman Empire records, the monastery takes place as “Su (o)Mela.
💭 Note: These and similar miracles and sentiments do not at all vindicate the false religion of Islam, nor the terrible actions of some Turks against Christians, but the faith and love of some simple Muslims towards Christ and His Saints. Similarly, Christ found in the Roman Centurion greater faith than any in Israel (Matthew 8:10). And often, this presence of the Holy Spirit, out of love not only acts to heal the bodies of non-Orthodox, but more crucially the souls, as many later embrace the light and are baptized Orthodox. May Christ grant us all repentance, that we all may be saved, and come to the knowledge of the Truth. St. George the Trophy-bearer, intercede for us all and help us! Amen.
💭 And the former Muslim-Saracen said: “Forgive me, Master and Father, but I want and have a desire to see Christ. How can I do that?” And the priest said: “If you wish to see Christ go to your nephew and preach Christ to him. Curse and anathematize the faith of the Muslim-Saracens and their false prophet Muhammad and preach correctly the true faith of the Christians without fear, and thus you will see Christ.” …
“Thus, St. George has become a place of worship for thousands of atheists, Christians, Jews, and especially Muslims, who with every means come to the island and bring their tamata (vows), and place them before the Saint, as they place their hopes in him. And the Saint shows that he does not judge and ‘imparts healing’ to every faithful person.”
And the former Muslim-Saracen said: “Forgive me, Master and Father, but I want and have a desire to see Christ. How can I do that?” And the priest said: “If you wish to see Christ go to your nephew and preach Christ to him. Curse and anathematize the faith of the Muslim-Saracens and their false prophet Muhammad and preach correctly the true faith of the Christians without fear, and thus you will see Christ.”
Although Orthodox Christians have endured much suffering at the hands of the Turks, there are many people in Turkey born to Muslim families who nevertheless respect and venerate St. George, and pray to him for help.
The Monastery of St. George Koudounas
This historic Monastery of Saint George Koudounas, on Prince’s Island outside of Constantinople, was according to tradition built by the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros Phokas in 963 AD. A miraculous icon of St. George was brought here from the Monastery of Peace, which was founded by Emperor Justin II, in Athens at that time.
The Monastery was later sacked in the Fourth Crusade. Then in 1302 the pirate Giustiniani plundered all the buildings and monasteries of the island. Not wanting their holy icon stolen by the Franks, the monks hid the icon under the earth and place the holy altar above it. The miraculous icon however was lost for many years.
Later, St. George appeared to a shepherd in a dream and told him where to find his icon. When he approached the area, he heard the ringing of bells, and having unearthed the icon, found it decorated with bells. This is the source behind the epithet “Koudouna” which means “bells”.
The Monastery was later attached to Hagia Lavra in Kalavryta, and eventually to the Patriarch of Constantinople.
The current church was built in 1905.
The miracles of the Saint are many, not only towards Christians [Romans], who approached always with great reverence (in olden times there wasn’t a Christian family which had not visited Koudouna at least once a year), but towards everyone without exception, who approach his grace with faith. Thus there is a great mass of people who come from other faiths from throughout Turkey. The pilgrims number about 250,000 a year, the majority being Muslim Turks.
The great iron gate of the Monastery, as we learn from its engraving in Greek and Turkish, was offered from the Muslim Rasoul Efenti, as a gift of gratitude towards the Saint for the healing of his wife.
On April 23rd, in other words the day when the Saint is honored and the Monastery celebrates, tens of thousands of pilgrims arrive, not only from Constantinople but from other cities, to venerate the Great Martyr and to seek help in their problems.
Roughly all of these pilgrims are from other faiths.
Many will return later to thank St. George, who heard their prayer and granted their desire, bringing the indispensable oil for his vigil lamp. You hear with passion how he healed this person’s son, how another became a mother after being barren for many years, how a third acquired a house, etc.
The Monastery also celebrates on the feast of Saint Thekla, and on this feast about 10,000 Muslims visit the Monastery seeking the prayer of Saint George.
Muslim Vows
Some come barefoot up the hill, which takes about 30 minutes to climb to the Monastery, others come with offerings of oil, candles, and sugar so that their lives may be sweet. Some do not speak as they climb up to the Monastery until they kiss the icon of St. George. They follow the services with hands lifted in the air holding lit candles. They ask priests for antidoron to bring home with them for a blessing. They have great faith and respect for Orthodoxy.
On September 24 I witnessed at 6:00 AM four modern looking Turkish girls approaching the Monastery. I asked them for what purpose they came. They responded: “Faith in the Saint brought us here. It doesn’t matter that we are Muslims. We prayed that he would help us. We have heard so much about the Monastery.”
Oral came from Smyrna in order to venerate the Saint with her vow. She brought three bottles of oil. When I asked why she, as a Muslim woman among the thousands, visits the Orthodox Monastery, she responded: “It is not forbidden by anyone for us to believe in Saint George. Religions have one common agreement, the one and only God. We could be hiding within us a Christian.”
Of the many interviews I conducted that day with Muslims, the responses were basically the same.
A different answer was given by Antil however. He said: “Life in Turkey is difficult. The people need something to give them strength. They have turned to religion. They have been bored by everything so they seek help elsewhere. Why not Saint George?”
And one Turkish newspaper reported: “Saint George has distributed hope to the suffering.”
Testimonies of Monks From the Monastery
Hieromonk Ephraim of Xenophontos, who has lived for three years at “Koudouna”, is astonished with the faith of the thousands of Muslims who visit the monastery. “These people live with their heart”, he affirms, “Because faith is the sight and the strength of the heart, for this reason they can and they do experience our Saints.”
Monk Kallinikos of Xenophontos, who serves as a priest, relates: “We are astonished with that which occurs here. Many times we see people who find the Lord with the faith of the Roman centurion.” To our question if the Saint responds to the supplications of the thousands of pilgrims, he replied: “During my three years here, we ourselves are witnesses of miracles, such as the healing of paralytics, mutes, and the giving birth to children.”
We asked the monks at St. George to comment about their stay in Turkey, and they told us: “All of their behavior is perfect. From the highest ruler, to the lowest, they treat us with such respect that many times we wonder which would be better, to live in Christian Greece or Muslim Turkey. We should tell you that we go everywhere with the monastic dress and our experiences have always been positive.
“Thus, St. George has become a place of worship for thousands of atheists, Christians, Jews, and especially Muslims, who with every means come to the island and bring their tamata (vows), and place them before the Saint, as they place their hopes in him. And the Saint shows that he does not judge and ‘imparts healing’ to every faithful person.”
Miracles: The Sick Turkish Woman
A Turkish woman from Levkochori had a serious health problem. She had heard a lot about St. George and wanted to come [venerate], but they did not let her come into the church because she was Turkish. But this didn’t deter her from remaining outside the church the whole night. In the morning they gave her holy oil from the vigil lamp of the Saint and she became well. After this, her husband gave many gifts to the church.
St. George Saves a Young Muslim Girl
A Muslim woman with her mother were taking a taxi for a long trip. The Muslims, as is well known, respect St. George very much.
On the road the taxi driver abandoned the proper course and began to show a threatening attitude towards the girl—the women apparently were praying—and at some point the taxi driver stopped the car and attempted to rape the girl. Immediately a police officer on horseback appeared, who ordered the taxi driver in a very powerful manner to the nearest police station. He went full of fear with the policeman, and the policeman on horseback went with him to the station, and issued a complaint for attempted rape. He signed the police book and left. When the taxi driver later came out of the interrogation, they looked in the book and said to him:
“There is no hope for you to escape! Do you know who brought you here?” Saint George.
💭 Note: These and similar miracles and sentiments do not at all vindicate the false religion of Islam, nor the terrible actions of some Turks against Christians, but the faith and love of some simple Muslims towards Christ and His Saints. Similarly, Christ found in the Roman Centurion greater faith than any in Israel (Matthew 8:10). And often, this presence of the Holy Spirit, out of love not only acts to heal the bodies of non-Orthodox, but more crucially the souls, as many later embrace the light and are baptized Orthodox. May Christ grant us all repentance, that we all may be saved, and come to the knowledge of the Truth. St. George the Trophy-bearer, intercede for us all and help us! Amen.
💭 What an Infidel Saw that a Believer Did Not. Miracle in the Church of St. George
The following is a historical speech by St. Gregory of Decapolis about a vision that a Saracen [Muslim] once had in the Church of St. George in Damascus, and who, as a result of this, believed and became a monk and then a martyr for our Lord Jesus Christ. This took place in the eighth century.
Nicholas, the strategos, called Joulas, has related to me that in his town, which the Muslim-Saracens call in their language “Vineyard”, the Emir of Syria sent his nephew to administer some works under construction in the said castle. In that place there is also a big church, old and splendid, dedicated to the most glorious martyr St. George. When the Muslim-Saracen saw the church from a distance he ordered his servants to bring his belongings and the camels themselves, twelve of them, inside the church so that he may be able to supervise them from a high place as they were fed.
As for the priests of that venerable church, they pleaded with him saying: “Master, do not do such things; this is a church of God. Do not show disrespect towards it and do not bring the camels inside the holy altar of God.” But the Muslim-Saracen, who was pitiless and stubborn, did not want even to listen to the pleas of the presbyters. Instead he said to his servants, in Arabic: “Do you not do what you have been commanded to do?” Immediately his servants did as he commanded them. But suddenly the camels, as they were led into the church, all, by the command of God, fell down dead. When the Muslim-Saracen saw the extraordinary miracle he became ecstatic and ordered his servants to take away the dead camels and throw them away from the church; and they did so.
As it was a holiday on that day and the time for the Divine Liturgy was approaching, the priest who was to start the holy service of preparation of the gifts was very much afraid of the Muslim-Saracen; how could he start the bloodless sacrifice in front of him! Another priest, co-communicant to him, said to the priest who was to celebrate the Liturgy: “Do not be afraid. Did you not see the extraordinary miracle? Why are you hesitant?” Thus the said priest, without fear started the holy service of offering.
The Muslim-Saracen noticed all these and waited to see what the priest was going to do. The priest began the holy service of offering and took the loaf of bread to prepare the holy sacrifice. But the Muslim-Saracen saw that the priest took in his hand a child which he slaughtered, drained the blood inside the cup, cut the body into pieces, and placed them on the tray!
As the Muslim-Saracen saw these things he became furious with anger and, enraged at the priest, he wanted to kill him. When the time of the Great Entrance approached, the Muslim-Saracen saw again, and more manifestly, the child cut into four pieces on the tray, his blood in the cup. He became again ecstatic with rage. Towards the end of the Divine Liturgy, as some of the Christians wanted to receive the Holy Communion and as the priest said, “With the fear of God and faith draw near,” all the Christians bent their heads in reverence. Some of them went forward to receive the holy sacrament. Again, for a third time, the Muslim-Saracen saw that the priest, with a spoon, was offering to the communicants from the body and the blood of the child. The repentant Christians received the holy sacrament. But the Muslim-Saracen saw that they had received communion from the body and the blood of the child, and at that he became filled with anger and rage against everybody.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy the priest distributed the antidoron to all Christians. He then took off his priestly vestments and offered to the Muslim-Saracen a piece from the bread. But he said in Arabic: “What is this?” The priest answered: “Master, it is from the bread from which we celebrated the Liturgy.” And the Muslim-Saracen said angrily: “Did you celebrate the Liturgy from that, you dog, impure, dirty, and killer? Didn’t I see that you took and slaughtered a child, and that you poured his blood into the cup, and mutilated his body and placed on the plate members of his, here and there? Didn’t I see all these, you polluted one and killer? Didn’t I see you eating and drinking from the body and blood of the child, and that you even offered the same to the attendants? They now have in their mouths pieces of flesh dripping blood.”
And the Muslim-Saracen said: “Is this not what I saw?” And the priest: “Yes, my Lord, this is how it is; but myself, being a sinner, I am not able to see such a mystery, but only bread and wine as a figuration of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, even the great and marvelous Fathers, the stars and teachers of the Church, like the divine Basil the Great, and the memorable Chrysostom and Gregory the Theologian, were unable to see this awesome and terrifying mystery. How can I see it?”
When the Muslim-Saracen heard this he became ecstatic and he ordered his servants and everybody who was inside to leave the church. He then took the priest by the hand and said: “As I see and as I have heard, great is the faith of the Christians. So, if you so will, Father, baptize me. And the priest said to the Muslim-Saracen: “Master, we believe in and we confess our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to the world for our salvation. We also believe in the Holy Trinity, the consubstantial and undivided one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the one Godhead. We believe also in Mary, the ever-virgin mother of light, who has given birth to the fruit of life, our pre-announced Lord, Jesus Christ. She was virgin before, virgin during, and virgin after giving birth. We believe also that all the holy apostles, prophets, martyrs, saints, and righteous men are servants of God. Do you not realize, therefore, my master, that the greatest faith is that of the Orthodox Christians?”
And the Muslim-Saracen said again: “I beg you, Father, baptize me.” But the priest answered: “Far from that. I cannot do such a thing; for if I do and your nephew the Emir hears of that, he will kill me and destroy this church, too. But if it is, indeed, your wish to be baptized, go to that place in the Sinai Mountain. There, there is the bishop; he will baptize you.”
The Muslim-Saracen prostrated himself in front of the presbyter and walked out of the church. Then, one hour after nightfall, he came back to the priest, took off his royal golden clothes, put on a poor sack of wool, and he left in secret by night. He walked to Mount Sinai and there he received holy baptism from the bishop. He also learned the Psalter, and he recited verses from it every day.
One day three years later he [the former Muslim-Saracen] said to the bishop: “Forgive me, Master, what am I supposed to do in order to see Christ?” And the bishop said: “Pray with the right faith and one of these days you will see Christ, according to your wish.” But the former Muslim-Saracen said again: “Master, give me your consent to go to the priest who offered me instruction when I saw the awesome vision in the church of the most glorious martyr George.” The bishop said: “Go, in peace.”
Thus, he went to the priest, prostrated himself in front of him, embraced him and said to him: “Do you know, Father, who I am?” And the priest: “How can I recognize a man whom I have never seen before?” But, again, the former Muslim-Saracen said: “Am I not the nephew of the Emir, who brought the camels inside the church and they all died, and who during the Divine Liturgy saw that terrifying vision?” When the priest looked at him he was amazed and praised God seeing that the former Arab wolf had become a most calm sheep of Christ. He embraced him with passion and invited him to his cell to eat bread.
And the former Muslim-Saracen said: “Forgive me, Master and Father, but I want and have a desire to see Christ. How can I do that?” And the priest said: “If you wish to see Christ go to your nephew and preach Christ to him. Curse and anathematize the faith of the Muslim-Saracens and their false prophet Muhammad and preach correctly the true faith of the Christians without fear, and thus you will see Christ.”
The former Muslim-Saracen left in earnest. By night he was knocking at the door of the Muslim-Saracen forcefully. The guards at the gate of the house of the Emir asked: “Who is yelling and knocking at the door?” And he answered: “I am the nephew of the Emir who left some time ago and was lost. Now I want to see my uncle and tell him something.” The guards of the gate conveyed this to the Muslim-Saracen immediately: “Master, it is your nephew who left some time ago and was lost.” The Emir, heaving a sigh, said: “Where is he?” They said: “At the gate of the palace.” He then ordered his servants to go and meet him with lights and candles. They all did as the king, Emir, commanded and they took the monk, the former Muslim-Saracen, by the hand and presented him to the Emir, his uncle.
When the Emir saw him, he was very glad. He embraced him with tears in his eyes and said to him: “What is this? Where were you living all this time? Aren’t you my nephew?” And the monk said: “Don’t you recognize me, your nephew? Now, as you see, by the Grace of God the Most High I have become a Christian and a monk. I have been living in desert places so that I may inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. I hope in the unspeakable compassion of the All-sovereign God to inherit his kingdom. Why are you hesitating yourself, too, Emir? Receive the holy baptism of the Orthodox Christians in order to inherit eternal life, as I hope to do.”
The Emir laughed, scratched his head and said: “What are you chattering about, you miserable one; what are you chattering? What has happened to you? Alas, you pitiful one! How did you abandon your life and the sceptres of reign and roam around as a beggar, dressed in these filthy clothes made of hair?”
The monk responded to him: “By the grace of God. As far as all the things I used to have when I was a Muslim-Saracen, these were [material] property and were of the devil. But these things that you see me wearing are a glory and pride, and an engagement with the future and eternal life. I anathematize the religion of the Muslim-Saracens and their false prophet.”
Then the Emir said: “Take him out, for he does not know what he is chattering about.” They took him away and put him in a place in the palace where they gave him food and drink. And he spent three days there, but he took neither food nor drink. He was praying to God earnestly and with faith. Going down to his knees he said: “O Lord, I have hoped in thee, let me never be ashamed, neither let my enemies laugh me to scorn.” And again: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” And again: “Enlighten my eyes, Lord God, that I may not fall asleep into death; that my enemy may never say, ‘I have overpowered him’. ‘Strengthen my heart, O Lord,’ so that I may be able to fight the visible deceiver, the Muslim-Saracen; so that the evil devil may not stamp on me and make me fear death, for your holy name.” He then made the sign of the cross and said: “The Lord is my enlightenment and my saviour. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life. From whom will I hesitate?” And again he cried out to the Emir: “Receive holy baptism in order to gain the immeasurable kingdom of God.”
Again the Emir gave orders for him to be brought in front of him. He had prepared for him clothes exceedingly beautiful. And the Emir spoke: “Enjoy, you pitiful one, enjoy and rejoice for being a king. Do not disdain your life and your youth which is so beautiful, walking instead mindlessly like a beggar and a penniless one. Alas, you pitiful one. What do you think?”
The monk laughed and replied to the Emir: “Do not weep at what I have in mind. I am thinking how to be able to fulfill the work of my Christ and that of the priest who has sent me, and has been my teacher. As for the clothes you have prepared for me, sell them and give the money to the poor. You, too, should abandon the temporary sceptres of the reign, so that you may receive sceptres of an eternal life. Do not rest your hope on things of the present but on things which are of the future, and do not believe in the pseudo-prophet Muhammad, the impure, the detestable one, the son of hell. Believe, rather, in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the crucified one. Believe that the one Godhead is a consubstantial Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a Trinity of one essence, and undivided.”
The Emir laughed again and said to the officials who had gathered in the palace: “This man is mindless. What shall we do with him? Take him out and expel him.” Those, however, sitting by the king said: “He meant to desecrate and corrupt the religion of the Muslim-Saracens. Do you not hear how he curses and anathematizes our great prophet?”
The monk and former Muslim-Saracen cried out loudly: “I feel sorry for you Emir because you, unfortunate one, do not want to be saved. Believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, the crucified one, and anathematize the religion of the Muslim-Saracens and their false prophet, as I did.”
And the Muslim-Saracen Emir said: “Take him out as I am ordering you. He is mindless and does not know what he is talking about.”
Those sitting by with him said: “Well, you heard that he anathematized the religion of the Muslim-Saracens and that he is blaspheming against the great prophet, and you say, ‘He does not know what he is talking about’? If you do not have him killed we will also go and become Christians.”
And the Emir said: “I cannot have him killed because he is my nephew and I feel sorry for him. But you take him and do as you please.”
And they got hold of the monk with great anger, they dragged him out of the palace and submitted him to many tortures to try to make him return to the previous religion of the Muslim-Saracens. But he did not. Instead he was teaching everybody in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth to believe and be saved.
The Muslim-Saracens dragged him out of the city, and there they stoned to death this most pious monk, whose name was Pachomios.
On that night a star came down from heaven and rested on top of the most pious martyr, and everybody was able to see it for forty days; and many of them became believers.
With the prayers of the most blessed martyr, of the all-pure Mother of God Mary, who is ever-virgin, and of all of the saints; for the remission of our sins. Amen.
From Daniel J. Sahas, “What an Infidel Saw that a Faithful Did Not: Gregory Dekapolites (d. 842) and Islam”, Greek Orthodox Theological Review 31 (1986), 47-67.
💭 “At least 28 killed in Islamist attack on South Sudanese Christian community,”
At least 28 people were killed and 57 houses burned down in an attack by Islamist extremists against the Christian community of Yith Pabol, Aweil East county, South Sudan, in early January.
Bishop Joseph Mamer Manot said on 6 January that “massive displacement has happened, and the humanitarian situation is alarming as food and other property have been burned down into ashes, leaving survivors with no shelters, no food and no safe drinking water”.
The incident is the latest example of attacks against South Sudanese Christians by Arab Muslims from the Republic of Sudan, along the disputed border between the two countries.
A similar attack the same week in nearby Miodol village left at least four dead, with three others missing and several houses destroyed.
The state security adviser, Joseph Akook Aleu, said Monday that the state government decided to close the road to Sudan because of the ongoing attacks and killing of civilians.
South Sudan is about 60% Christian, mostly Roman Catholic and Anglican. By grace of God and the blessings of His Beatitude Theodore II, the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Metropolitan Narkissos (Gammoh) of Nubia founded the first Orthodox Christian missionary center in South Sudan in 2015.
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