Mt. Athos: A visit to the Holy Mountain

[Dale_M]

A Byzantine cross by the sea marks the border between Mount Athos and the 21st century. The monks come there, as they always have, for the beauty, the tranquility and the isolation. But mostly they come for the religious way of life that has hardly changed in more than a thousand years.

Father Iakovos is one of a few Americans on the mountain; he’s been there more than half his life. “You have to understand, the words that we’re saying in today’s liturgy, are the same words that Christ was saying, are the same words that saints from the first century, the second century, the third century, the fourth century,” he told “60 Minutes” correspondent Bob Simon.

And nothing has changed in orthodoxy since then - it’s the only branch of Christianity that can make that claim.

cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/21/60minutes/main20056101.shtml

Mt Athos, of course, is world famous as a site of male monasticism. But is the claim that nothing has changed in orthodoxy correct?

 

[mgn2010]

Is he not referring only to the Greek Orthodox Church…what about the Eastern Orthodox and the Egyptian Coptic Church and others (Syrian, Menonites, etc.)? Did he not mention the date 1453? Didn’t the Bishop of Constantinople split with the Roman Pontiff in 1054? So was this 1453 the split with the Greek Orthodox?
Remember in John Paul II’s interview gathered together in the book, “Crossing the Threshold of Hope”, how he answered the question why do you think there are so many divisions within Christianity…and he answered to the affect that perhaps this is all for a greater good…almost like saying by the disharmony something will come better than what would not have if there weren’t division. Almost like two fighters becoming best friends. If all these centuries has produced different sects in Christian cultures, what will the timeliness of communication do to the needed gathering of all into one faith. We are in a communication evolution the likes of which will only bring differences much quicker to the forefront of dialogue and discussion. Will will see the unification of the Eastern and Latin rites within the next 100 years? A brother-in-law commented during the the 60 Minute program about the repetitive prayers…isn’t that what Jesus warned against saying repititious prayers…and here they are doing it!! The “Jesus” prayer is said by all of them every moment they are out working their tasks…St. Paul says to pray unceasingly…to each his own way?

 

[Publisher]

I watched the 60 Minutes special last night…very interesting.

 

[Cecilianus]

cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/21/60minutes/main20056101.shtml

Mt Athos, of course, is world famous as a site of male monasticism. But is the claim that nothing has changed in orthodoxy correct?

Its dogma has developed, just as Roman Catholic dogma has developed. So it’s not completely static, but there is a much deeper connection to and love for tradition than in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. We do use a 4th-century Liturgy, and hold a faith firmly grounded in the the teaching of the Fathers.

 

[Madaglan]

Its dogma has developed, just as Roman Catholic dogma has developed. So it’s not completely static, but there is a much deeper connection to and love for tradition than in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. We do use a 4th-century Liturgy, and hold a faith firmly grounded in the the teaching of the Fathers.

I watched the documentary the other day, and I think what he refers to as not changing is the whole monastic way of life, which is regular and unaffected by the trends of the world. The monks continue to pray as the monks of the early centuries prayed.