17th September 2013 Athens, Greece
Wanderings on Athos, the Holy Mountain
When I was 19 I tried for the first time to gain a permit to enter the Holy Mountain. I am an Anglican and a believer, and have long been interested in monasticism and Orthodox spirituality. In 1987, my application was unsuccessful and I rather lost heart; I have waited over 25 years to fill the gap in my Greek cv.
Last week, after finally securing the necessary permissions (without difficulty – thanks to the Church authorities), I travelled north, alone except for my security, to spend three nights on Athos. I was determined to visit as a pilgrim, with as little protocol as possible. For me the serious pilgrim takes to his feet and measures the spiritual experience in real time, far from the car and the clock. Now that most travel on Athos by vehicle, I was fortunate that one of my Greek security team was willing to tolerate an English eccentric and accompany me on foot.
In the event, my tireless security-man and I walked many miles, sometimes inland, sometimes on the shoreline, sometimes in the forest. The natural beauty of Athos is staggering. Not just the glittering light on the ocean’s surface and the domineering crag of Athos itself, but also the dappled shade of the deciduous forest and the indented bays and inlets of the shoreline. In that place a lyrical romantic feels close enough to the Sublime, whatever his faith and hopes.
But for me, the primacy of experience on Athos is not the natural beauty of the virgin landscape, but the immersion of the believer in the patterns and demands of the religious life. We visited five northerly monasteries and stayed at three. In all, we were given hospitality, friendship and conversation, and were quietly encouraged to join the community at prayer. This, especially for a non-Orthodox, is where the privilege of the permission lies.
I love the Orthodox liturgy and have attended many beautiful celebrations of it. But at Iviron, Stavronikita and Xenophontos, it seemed to me, for the first time, to give access to the deepest spiritual truths and to expose the soul to its deepest questioning. At the Divine Liturgy in Iviron and at Evensong in Xenophontos, I was embarrassed by the tears on my cheeks. But, on looking around me, I realised I was not alone. Most of us were visibly moved by the beautiful harmony of music, architecture and art, and by the liturgy’s dense verbal imagery and its clear insistence on the path of penitence and mercy. Not just an experience to treasure, but one I hope to repeat in the years ahead of me here in Greece.
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On a more secular level, I have been thinking a lot recently about the naval ties between Britain and Greece. I had the honour of visiting the Response Force Task Group Cougar 13, when it was in port two weeks ago at Souda Bay on Crete. On board the flagship HMS BULWARK we were honoured by the presence of the Chief of the Greek Navy, Vice-admiral Apostolakis.
The ties between our navies are real, of long standing and abiding. Our First Sea Lord, Admiral Zambellas is himself of Greek descent. And, in addition to defence co-operation, we share many interests in the merchant marine. Last week was International Maritime Shipping Week in London. The Minister of the Merchant Marine, Mr Varvitsiotis, attended and gave an address at one of the principal events hosted by British Shipping Minister, Mr Hammond. I shall say more about these enduring links in my next blog. In the meantime, enjoy what remains of the summer!
Dear John Kittmer,
Thanks for a lovely description of your pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain. I have been a perpetual pilgrim since 1984, sometimes three times a year and in 1994 I published a book Tales and Truth: Pilgrimage on Mount Athos Past and Present at the University of Helsinki Press. I have a copy of it and can send it to you in case you want to read about pilgrimages to Athos between 15th and 20th centuries. (To which address shall I send the copy?) You can read more about me at http://www.renegothoni.com and listen to some of my songs there by clicking news, the first one commemorating 9/11 (This Is How Much I Love You). The cd with 20 songs will be released on 29 October 2013. With love in Christ
Irenéos
Rene Gothóni
Professor, writer and troubadour
President of the Finnish Society of the Friends of Mount Athos
Patron of Friends of Mount Athos in Oxford
Dear Mr Kittmer,
As a Greek living in the UK for many years I treasure our common cultural links. Christianity – even from a different dogma prism – is one of those, a proud, formidable naval tradition is another. We must all work hard to advance relations between our two nations and realize our common and aligned strategic interests.
Best Wishes
How refreshing to read about harmony in these turbulent days, the natural beauty of the coastline and shady forests in contrast with the ugly happenings on the streets of Athens, the elevation to ecstasy through belief rather than through life-threatening drugs.
Your beautiful description of your long-awaited visit Mt Athos triggers a myriad of feelings and emotions ranging from wonder and joy to bitterness, sadness and near desperation. We are the teachers of English who wrote to you two weeks ago about the absurd new measures to reduce the hours of English tuition at secondary schools in Greece; and the feelings of bitterness, sadness and desperation were sparked off by the fact that while the privileged few can immerse themselves in the uplifting atmosphere of that famous exclusive area, forbidden to more than half the population, the struggling masses have to take to the streets and shout and march while forfeiting their salaries in the hope of reclaiming their right to a decent existence and of providing the younger generation with the wherewithal to prosper.
Greece is a beautiful country, but those little pockets of beauty and tranquility are rapidly becoming less and less accessible for the vast majority. As it is becoming increasingly difficult to physically visit these places due to the ridiculously high cost of petrol and road tolls and the constant slashing of salaries, the need to equip the young people of Greece with the skills required to access this magnificence through language and literature has never been greater. It seems that the education system, which was far from robust to begin with, is constantly being dealt brutal blows in the guise of ‘government measures’. The consequences will inevitably be tragic. Students from families that no longer have the money to send them to private schools, who nowadays account for the vast majority, will be deprived of the chance of ever getting to know and appreciate the world around them.
We believe that education should be FREE. It is the right of every citizen of this country. Now, more than ever before, it is ESSENTIAL that youngsters are provided with the skills and knowledge to progress in order to save Greece from the encroaching mire of chaos and confusion. If the standard of English falls, which will inevitably happen if students are not given enough contact hours in the classroom, so too will Greece’s chances of salvation.
Since so far we are alone in our struggle, we eagerly await your response and support.
thank you for sharing your experience.