Mt. Athos, October 22, 2019

Updated October 28, 2019

uncutmountainsupply.com

Hot on the heels of the announcement of the canonization of four 20th-century Athonite elders, Patriarch Bartholomew also announced that the Patriarchate of Constantinople would proceed with a study of the life and teachings of Elder Sophrony, towards his eventual canonization.

Pat. Bartholomew made the announcement before the Holy Community of Mt. Athos, consisting of one member of each of the 20 ruling monasteries on the Mountain.

The news that initially came out from Pemptousia, a site under the auspices of Vatopedi Monastery, incorrectly reported that the decision to canonize Elder Sophrony was already made.

Pat. Bartholomew earlier announced the canonization of Elders Ieronymos of Simenopetra (+ 1957), Daniel of Katounakia (+ 1929), Joseph the Hesychast (+ 1959), and Ephraim of Katounakia (+ 1998) on Mt. Athos on Sunday, and at first it seemed that Elder Sophrony was officially added to the list.

However, the Greek version of Pravoslavie.Ru has clarified that the decision to canonize Elder Sophrony has not yet been officially made.

There has, unfortunately, been a number of hasty reports on Greek Orthodoxy lately, especially as concerns the position of the hierarchs of Greek Church towards the so-called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”

Elder Sophrony (1896-1993) is known as the spiritual child and biographer of the great St. Silouan the Athonite and the founder of St. John the Baptist Monastery in Essex, England.

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