Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill asked from the Greek President Karolos Papoulias to intervene and release Archimandrite Ephraim, superior of the Mount Athos Vatopedi Monastery, since he is no threat to the public and is willing to cooperate with the authorities.
In the message posted on the Russian Orthodox Church website, the Russian Patriarch expresses his worries about the pretrial detention of Efraim due to the latter’s health problems, which have not been taken into account when he was arrested.
“In Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and other countries, whose peoples are the traditional flock of the Russian Orthodox Church, millions of believers are alarmed by the police measures taken as regards the hegemon of the famous Athos monastery well-known to the entire Orthodox world on the days Orthodox Greece celebrates Christmas,” he said.
The message of the Russian Patriarch has been repeated by all Russian media.
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