With regard to the question you asked me about the spiritual principles established by Father Petroniu, I must emphasise that they were not established now, but right from the time of our arrival at the Prodromos community, as it was then.
It is true that they could not be put into practice in their entirety, as opinions were divided. The monks were accustomed to the rules and customs of the monasteries from which they came: Secu, Sihăstria, Sâmbăta de Sus, and Neamț, each having their own way of understanding and putting into practice monastic rules and the monastic typikon. However, as I mentioned, Father Petroniu, although not in the position of abbot, wielded great influence and had a significant say in all matters concerning the monastery’s order.
Once he became abbot, things changed radically, as he imposed and established the Athonite rule based on the typikon of Saint Sava, by which the entire Holy Mountain is guided. He placed great emphasis on attendance at church, which could not be disregarded under any circumstances, except in the case of illness that confined one to bed; otherwise, he would personally visit the cells of monks who were caught up in sleep or other distractions. Although there were few of us, the chores and duties had to be carried out – both the basic duties and the work to restore the hermitage, which lay in ruins. Nevertheless, there was no incentive to miss church. The meal schedule had to be observed without any excuses for non-attendance, and eating between meals or in the cells was strictly forbidden. Those who, through weakness, failed to observe the rules were severely punished with appropriate penances.
And did the fathers not complain?
Peace had begun to descend upon the community of the Prodromu Hermitage, although there were still some grievances which, whilst sometimes deepening, did not manage to take root, because Father Petroniu would either nip them in the bud, or, through his spiritual experience, would steer them back onto the right path. That is why, when, unfortunately, there were still some fathers who were at odds with the order, they eventually left of their own accord and settled elsewhere, in certain cells where, as they saw it, they had a more flexible schedule—though I do not know whether this truly satisfied them in the end.
Life in the hermitage carried on, as time went by, bringing ever new encounters and changes both within the hermitage and across the Athos Peninsula. Spiritual ties with the monasteries were beginning to take shape, and expressions of appreciation for the skete came ever more frequently, though less so from the sovereign monastery, the Great Lavra, which was itself undergoing a profound re-evaluation and deep misunderstanding, especially following its return from individual to communal order in 1981.
What were the relations between the Prodromu Skete and the Great Lavra like at that time?
Of course, our relations with the monastery were, in principle, good, but there were some slip-ups – driven by their own motives, which sometimes held water – for if some of our own people spoke out of turn, word of it would often reach their ears, which in turn created an atmosphere of mistrust and a strained relationship that was beneficial to neither us nor them.
Throughout this period of Father Petroniu’s abbotship, few monastic vows were taken by the brothers of the community, precisely because of this justified coolness, which could have been avoided if we had not been looking for ‘the neighbour’s goat’, but had mind our own ‘sheep’.
Also, as a spiritual principle or spiritual foundation of the community, however you wish to call it, was and remains the principle of not keeping any material gain, money or valuables for oneself, but rather handing them over to the community treasury or storehouse, from where, with the abbot’s blessing, they were given to the brothers and fathers in need.
During Father Petroniu’s time as abbot, the restoration work on the Hermitage had begun to progress, both through work carried out by the monks of the community and through the hiring of specialist firms approved by the Institute of Historical Monuments in Thessaloniki. As funds were scarce, whilst our needs were great and, at the same time, urgent, quality was greatly neglected; work was often carried out superficially or even irresponsibly, which has compromised the long-term durability of the structures. At times, even when advice was offered by various individuals or by the Lavra Monastery, their suggestions were disregarded and the work continued irresponsibly, in line with the saying of some: ‘Who knows what will become of this hermitage anyway, with these Greeks’ or ‘Let others follow our example’ and so on.
These erroneous attitudes on our part, left uncorrected by those authorised to do so, have caused and continue to cause the hermitage much harm. At present, much of the work carried out at that time needs to be redone, sometimes entirely, at a cost in terms of materials and funds that could have been avoided, at least in part, had the work been carried out responsibly and, consequently, built to last. Yes, fewer projects were undertaken, but they would have been more durable over time. We pray for those who consciously adopted such attitudes, irresponsibly—and indeed negatively—influencing the process of renewal and restoration of the Prodromu Hermitage. The Skete’s council and its abbot suffered greatly as a result, but, for the sake of peace and tranquillity (as it was said at the time), no further action was taken. All this, however, has unfortunately led – and continues to lead – to a drain on energy and, at times, on one’s nerves; to opening doors, spending money, and finding loopholes that might facilitate a happy outcome, at least in the end. Those same irresponsible individuals, who are akin to traitors to their country and people, have resorted to improvised lies and slander, dragging those who are now seeking to rectify the mistakes of the past through the institutions and courts, and even boast of being wronged because the ‘lifeline’ has been taken from them.
Please forgive me for this digression, but it could not be overlooked, as it is now part of the recent history we have endured as a community, and will remain in the annals of the hermitage.
That is why we say: may this oppressive and unjust problem inflicted upon the hermitage, permitted by God and the Mother of God, serve as an example to the future inhabitants of this holy settlement; for I recall that I was often asked (and not only to me): ‘Why do we Romanians not have a monastery too?’ – and the answer was that we are to blame, and indeed we still bear this blame. I have spent forty years on the Holy Mountain and in this holy settlement; I have been through much and am still going through it – for such is God’s will, that through tribulations and sorrows we should end our days, just as all our forefathers have journeyed – and, alas, I maintain even today that the blame lies with us Romanians, who have not been united and have not sought to overlook one another’s shortcomings, but have sought pre-eminence and personal glory, and did not seek the glory of God and the common good.
I have spent forty years on the Holy Mountain and in this holy settlement, I have been through much and am still going through much (…) and, unfortunately, I maintain even today that the fault lies with us Romanians, who have not been united and have not tried to overlook one another’s shortcomings, but have sought personal prominence and glory, and did not seek the glory of God and the common good.
Divisions and hatred have afflicted only some, both in the past and now, so not everyone; for there have been, and still are today, fathers who bring honour to the Romanian people amongst the other Athonite fathers, but unfortunately they are still few in number.
May I be forgiven, however, for this revelation: I do not speak out of hatred, but for the sake of correction, for we all need correction, and if we cannot do the common good, let us at least avoid evil. Anything that causes division does not endure, as is also shown in the Holy Gospel: ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away’ (Luke 21:33) – therefore, love, truth and justice remain for ever. Let us seek these things, my brothers, with humility as our guide to lead us to them.
Anything that causes division does not endure, as is also shown in the Holy Gospel – therefore, love, truth and justice remain for ever.
It seems I have strayed a little from the original question, but I had to include this digression, for which our renowned abbot, Father Petroniu, fought so hard; and I have done nothing but repeat his holy words, which were seasoned with salt and imbued with the spiritual delicacy that characterised him, as all those who knew him can attest—a gentleness which each of us ought to strive to acquire.
What sort of spiritual father was Father Petroniu?
Father Petroniu, with his spiritual nature, did not possess the cold audacity to point out your weakness and the emotional burden in which you were struggling, which is why, with great tact, he sought your healing and suffered enormously whenever his advice was disregarded.
Father Petroniu, with his spiritual nature, did not have the cold-hearted audacity to point out your weakness and the emotional burden under which you were struggling; that is why he sought your healing with great tact.
The abbot would not tolerate idle talk, neither during the hours of obedience nor in church, for that matter, nor even in matters of a routine nature that are sometimes normal in church.
He insisted on ceaseless prayer, the monastic rule and readings in the cell, and not wandering from place to place; all the more so, he forbade entering another brother’s cell without a blessed reason. He insisted that everything be done with a blessing. Where things were not done with a blessing, he preferred that they be thrown away, cut up or destroyed.
Nor did he tolerate gossip or slander for which he received no explanation.
He would offer us words of guidance and spiritual edification periodically at the communal refectory and in private. He would not give in to compromises, laughter or jokes, which he avoided entirely.
Weekly confession, and whenever necessary, was included in the communal schedule, whilst Holy Communion was taken as appropriate – he was not in favour of frequent Communion, but neither did he forbid it – placing great emphasis on preparation for Holy Communion, including fasting.
He regarded patronal feasts and travelling from place to place on feast days as a waste of time and a distraction; he emphasised the benefit to be gained from the cell, where His Holiness would say, as the ancients did: ‘Stay in your cell and it will teach you everything’.
Above all, however, everything that Father Petroniu asked us, as monks and brothers, to do or to observe, His Holiness himself did first, before any of us.
But above all, whatever Father Petroniu asked us, as monks and brothers, to do or to observe, His Holiness would do it himself before us and before any of us.
Having spent many years together, I believe that this father and abbot of ours has, through God’s mercy and his great asceticism, been raised up into the company of the saints – and it is not only I who say this, but also many others who knew him or lived in his presence, for even today we feel him to be alive amongst us, and indeed he is, for otherwise we could not continue all that is being carried out in the hermitage today.
His Holiness’s prayers are our spiritual support and strength, our nourishment and shelter, the path and the harbour of salvation we all long for; yet we shall attain it only by aspiring to emulate his good deeds.
As the years spent together with our abbot, Father Petroniu, have passed,have accumulated many things that we could commit to writing; these would fill many pages and could bring spiritual benefit to those wishing to learn useful advice on life and living in the monastery, especially in these times; yet neither the time nor the monk’s way of life is one in which he should set forth his virtues, but rather he awaits in silence and with great humility the eternal reward, which every person will receive on the day of the Lord’s revelation, when He will reward each one, not according to what He has promised, nor according to what has been done merely for show, but according to what has truly been done in secret, for God’s sake alone.
That is why Father Petroniu did not display his ascetic labours openly, but in secret; and we understood only what was evident from the work of his holiness, often even against his will, which in turn stirred us to greater zeal. We certainly need role models whilst we are on this path, for whoever wishes to attain salvation—a path by no means easy, as the saying goes: ‘if the righteous are saved with difficulty…’—what can we, who are weak and bound by sin, possibly add?
What is spiritual life like in the Skete now?
Life in the hermitage continues with zeal in service both day and night, and we hope that the zeal of the elders and brothers has not waned, for together we seek goodness and virtue, not merely to be bearers of a tradition, but aware that it is not tradition that makes a monk what he is, but his deeds are the fruit of his labour; each gathers fruit in his own secret tree, which ripens in time in the shade of the leaves of each of our struggles.
But just as in a garden where there are weeds as well as sweet and tasty fruit, there are still stumbles, falls and climbs—the marvellous path of those in the making. Just as we pull up weeds in the garden, so too, in the face of temptations, troubles and sorrows—which are most often brought upon us by the enemy—do we fight with the blessed weapons of the Fathers: prayer – knocking persistently at the gate of God’s mercy – and fasting – to diminish passions, pride and self-importance – for today these passions assail the monk more fiercely than ever before, sowing the thorns of pride, which is a most shameful passion for a monk.
I resign myself to criticising someone, for these thorns exist within me too, and the danger is that they are contagious; once a disease takes hold, it can wreak havoc. And since God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, from this we can see for ourselves the benefit or the harm.
Turning our attention to this humiliating scourge, I believe it has also afflicted us. And just as the wolf is not content with just one sheep when he enters the sheepfold, but drags out others as well to his heart’s content, so too the enemy is not content with just one soul that eagerly throws itself upon the bait—that little morsel the enemy promises—but seeks to snatch as many souls as possible, and if he could, even all of them.
The pillars and gates that guard and protect us from these snares of the present age and times are: the words of the Holy Fathers, sound judgement, the question which must guide the journey of anyone who wishes to be saved, and, last but not least, humility.
The monk who attends to his own obedience, his own prayer, and his own sins, and does not point out those of his neighbour; the one who fears God and whose conscience is unstained by any feeling of hatred, but is gentle and humble, and whose eyes are moistened with tears—I believe that such a one cannot go astray; even whilst on the path, the Lord guards his ways, granting him the strength and grace to know God and His will for us.
Have there been elders from the Skete community who have broken away from the Church?
He who sets himself above all others, believing that all his knowledge is justified and worthy of consideration, or who does not even recognise his own fall whilst believing he stands firm – his fall will indeed be great.
So this storm has swept through us too—by ‘us’ I mean our hermitage—sweeping away not just one but several who have broken away from the Orthodox Church, the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, setting up their own churches—or to put it more plainly, each in fact having his own church and his own vision of the Church.
It is painful that these brothers were regarded within our community as people of responsibility and honour, and yet they were able to fall into such deception, going so far as to claim that there is no longer any grace in the Church, thereby urging and drawing others into their error—monks and believers, some of whom were even virtuous in their zeal for God.
The delusion of some has gone so far that they have doubted the holiness of the saints canonised in our own time, such as Saint Nectarios of Aegina, Saint Paisios of Mount Athos, and they dare to cast aspersions upon other holy men of our day as well.
You may well ask, quite rightly, how this rebellion against the fathers—which originated within the very community of the Prodromos—was possible? How could the tares of their rebellion and straying have sprung from the good seed sown by a great and pious father of our times – Father Petronius?
Their very actions and deeds reveal this.
Although the use of mobile phones was prohibited within the community – being permitted only at the guesthouse for receiving pilgrims, at the office for day-to-day matters, and at the storeroom for transport vehicles, as these maintain community links with the outside world – nevertheless, some of the monks possessed personal mobile phones and, without permission, accessed the internet and used social media, through false and unorthodox influences—which they themselves falsely cultivated, first in their own minds and, subsequently, in the consciences of others; they have misguidedly led astray the genuine piety of the ordinary believer, of many monks and even of some priests.
You will recall that at the beginning of the interview I mentioned that our community had previously been affected by fanatical zealotry – at that time concerning the change of the calendar – which influenced not only our skete but also other Athonite communities. It seems that Mount Athos is still facing such situations of exaggerated fanaticism.
Personally, I did not believe that we would face such exaggerations and fanatical extremism in our own day. Yet, from acknowledging certain existing errors, we have come to see the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, with all its bishops, compromised, and to claim that it no longer possesses grace, or that anyone entering the church now is defiled, or even that the Holy Mysteries are no longer holy—thereby inciting the faithful to rebellion—is a thoroughly bewildering and mendacious thing, to say the least.
If someone has erred – even if they are a bishop – they will submit to correction and the matter will be clarified. And if that person has erred, it does not mean that the whole Church has erred, and we must not now stop attending church or resort to other such exaggerations; rather, with discernment, we believe the situation will be resolved, just as, from the very beginning, the Church has faced such situations, yet the Church has remained the Church: honourable, pure and blameless – for its Head is Christ, from whom all holiness comes, and who cares for His Church, and we have the assurance of His saving promise that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’ (Matthew 16:18).
Where, then, are all those who have left the Church now, brothers?
Have they not made themselves into churches, the so-called ‘churches’ whose number is no longer even known? Unfortunately, yes.
Therefore, may faith, study and the message of Christ’s Gospel guide us on the path to the truth, which is Christ the Lord alone.
Search the Scriptures and you will realise what difficult times have come upon us.
Separate truth from falsehood; beware of false prophets! What fellowship has light with darkness, or God with Mammon? It is not food and drink that reveal all these things to us, but the Holy Spirit, who was given to us at Holy Baptism; He will show us the truth. Do not be afraid, the Saviour assures us: ‘Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20).
Fasting, prayer and faith on our part, and the love of God revealed to us in the Body and Blood of Christ, are interwoven in the life of everyone, whether as a community or as an individual. And the Lord assures us: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32).