Greek Court Rules Against Esphigmenou

A Greek court of appeals in Thessalonica has confirmed a ruling ordering the eviction of the monks of Mount Athos' Esphigmenou Monastery because of their refusal to commemorate Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople. More here.

Although a number of Mount Athos' smaller communities do not commemorate Patriarch Bartholomew, Esphigmenou has so far proved to be the only of the 20 'ruling' monasteries to steadfastly refuse to commemorate him (in the 1920s all the monasteries with the exception of Vatopaidi stopped commemorating the ecumenical patriarch and several refused to do so until after the 1960s).