site logosite logo
  • The Spiritual Gift of the Day
  • Gallery
  • About
  • [RO]
SIDEBAR

Mount Athos: Organization and Structure

0 comments
  • Informational
  • Mount Athos
Dec 29 2019
Post's featued image.

The monastic settlements on Mount Athos can be separated into the following categories: the twenty monasteries and their dependencies – that is sketes, kellia, kalyves, hermitages and dwellings.

The above order reflects, to some extent, the number of the monks who live in the foundation and the austerity of the life there. On the other hand, in a settlement where many monks live together (such as a monastery or a skete), nobody can possess his own property. Everything is held in common. Monks from various countries live on Mt. Athos. However, everyone who comes to Mt. Athos and takes the monastic habit becomes a Greek citizen.

According to the Constitutional Charter of the Holy Mountain, which is enshrined in the constitution of Greece, Mt. Athos is a self-governing part of the Greek state and is subject spiritually to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Holy Community (‘Ιερὰ Κοινότης) is the governing body of the Mountain and it is based at Karyes. It is the board of the twenty representatives of the monasteries, who are chosen, one from each monastery, for a one-year term.

The Chairman of the Holy Community is the ‘Protos’ (first, or primate) who is chosen by rotation for one year from the first five monasteries. Although the Protos is the chairman of the Holy Community, his vote is only advisory. The Protos is the first in rank and the chairman of the Holy Supervisory Committee for the year in which he is elected.

Executive authority rests with the Holy Supervisory Committee of the Community (‘Ιερὰ Ἐπιστασία). Each of the five groups of this body represents four monasteries. Those four members constitute the Holy Supervisory Committee for one year from June 1st to the end of May and after this the next group takes over. The division of the monasteries into five groups of four monasteries each is shown below:

Group A

The Holy Monastery of the Great Lavra (1)

The Holy Monastery of the Dochiariou (10)

The Holy Monastery of Xenofontos (16)

The Holy Monastery of Esphigmenou (18)

Group B

The Holy Monastery of Vatopediou (2)

The Holy Monastery of Koutloumousiou (6)

The Holy Monastery of Karakalou (11)

The Holy Monastery of Stavronikita (15)

Group C

The Holy Monastery of Iviron (3)

The Holy Monastery of Pantokrator (7)

The Holy Monastery of Philotheou (12)

The Holy Monastery of Simonopetra (13)

Group D

The Holy Monastery of Hilandar (4)

The Holy Monastery of Xeropotamou (8)

The Holy Monastery of Agiou Pavlou (St Paul) (14)

The Holy Monastery of Grigoriou (17)

Group E

The Holy Monastery of Dionysiou (5)

The Holy Monastery of Zographou (9)

The Holy Monastery of Saint Panteleimon (Rossikon) (19)

The Holy Monastery of Konstamonitou (20)

The numbers in brackets denote the Athonite order of precedence.

There is also a Double Assembly (Διπλὴ Σύναχις) which is called by default twice per year. It is made up of the Abbots together with the representatives of each monastery in the Holy Community. It can be also called for extraordinary sessions and deals with the most important issues concerning Mount Athos.

The Greek state supervises Mt. Athos and has the executive right to maintain public order and security. State power and authority is exercised by the Civil Administrator who has the rank of Prefect and is subject to the Ministry of the Interior. The Civil Administrator may take part in the meetings of the Holy Community only by invitation and his vote is simply consultative.

If you want to pray for you or to donate, click here.

Related Portfolio Items:

  • Down by Law: Why and how do we apply penances and corrective measures?
    Down by Law: Why and how do we apply penances and…
  • The region of Katunakia with the holy relics (skulls) of Saints Ephraim and Daniel of Katunakia and their cells
    The region of Katunakia with the holy relics…
  • Anxiety, fear and cowardice: causes and treatment
    Anxiety, fear and cowardice: causes and treatment
  • Elder Joseph the Hesycast, Elder Daniil and Ephraim of Katounakia and Elder Hieronymos of Simonopetra are entering in the Church's Calendar: Procedure
    Elder Joseph the Hesycast, Elder Daniil and Ephraim…
  • Bible and War: Cain, where's your brother?
    Bible and War: Cain, where's your brother?
  • What is the Uncreated Light and how can we experience it?
    What is the Uncreated Light and how can we experience it?
  • How can we distinguish between a medical illness and a demonic activity? - photo journal from the Exaltation of the Holy True Cross
    How can we distinguish between a medical illness and…
  • The role of courage and of the conscience in the war against the passions
    The role of courage and of the conscience in the war…
  • Bible, politics and elections
    Bible, politics and elections
  • The hardening of Pharaoh's heart and our free will
    The hardening of Pharaoh's heart and our free will
  • You seek liberty and happiness where they aren't
    You seek liberty and happiness where they aren't
  • The vanity and vainglory - our restless enemies
    The vanity and vainglory - our restless enemies
« The Top 10 Ascetic Posts for 2020
Why is necessary to say “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”? »

Submit a Comment Cancel Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Spiritual Gift of the Day

The photo is featured here as well as in the full portfolio and the spiritual subject categories so you can find the photos in any way you want.

Search

Popular Posts


Recent Posts

  • The mystery of the Holy Unction: Miracles
  • When will the trial we go through be over?
  • What Does the Bible Say About Doctors?
  • Saint Mary of Egypt and the Holy Communion
  • The types of sadness – photo journal from the Akathist Hymn
  • Who are the patron saints? (St. Charalampos, St. Corona, St. Nikephoros)
  • The Akathist Hymn: ode to the Invincible General
  • Which is the Beginning of the Gospel?
  • Prophecies about the pandemic – Photo journal with a great schema service
  • Fear: how to deal with it

Categories

  • === Body ===
    • Avarice (Love of Money) and Self-Imposed Poverty
    • Baptism, Tonsure, and Funerals
    • Gluttony and Fasting
    • Motivation, toil, diligence and laziness
    • Obedience
    • Renunciation of the world
    • Sleep and vigil
    • Vices and virtues
    • Victory over death
  • === Heart ===
    • Anger, Meekness, Simplicity and Innocence
    • Dispassion
    • Faith, Anxiety, Uncertainty and Cowardice
    • Insensibility (Death of soul)
    • Joy, mourning and joy filled mourning
    • Love
    • Passion, purity and chastity
    • Patience, trials and peaceful living
    • Remembrance of death
    • Repentance
    • Stillness of body and soul (Hesychia)
  • === Mind ===
    • Despair and Discouragement
    • Discernment, Experience and Enlightenment
    • Humility, pride and unclean thoughts
    • Justice, lying and patience in injustices
    • Prayer
    • Remembrance of wrongs
    • Slander
    • Tradition, learning and education
  • === Other ===
    • Informational
    • Miracles
    • Mount Athos
  • ==== Authors ====
    • Abba Efprepios
    • Abba Isaiah
    • Abba Sisoes
    • Abbess Gavriïlia
    • Abbess Makrina
    • Abraham Lincoln
    • Aimilios Polygenis
    • Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
    • Alexandru Mironescu
    • Ancient Patericon
    • Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana
    • Archbishop Seraphim Sobolev
    • Archimandrite Chrysostomos Papadakis
    • Archimandrite Gabriel Dionysiates
    • Avva Agathon
    • Barbara Johnson
    • Bishop Nektary Kontzevitch
    • confessor Răducă Marin
    • Diadochos of Photiki
    • Dimitrios Panagopoulos, preacher
    • Edsger W. Dijkstra
    • Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra
    • Elder Amphilochios Makris of Patmos
    • Elder Arsenie Boca
    • Elder Arsenie Papacioc
    • Elder Charalambos of Dionysiou
    • Elder Cleopa Ilie
    • Elder Ephraim of Arizona
    • Elder Ephraim of Vatopaidi
    • Elder Georgios Kapsanis
    • Elder Ilarion Argatu
    • Elder Ilarion of Kalamitsi
    • Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi
    • Elder Philotheos Zervakos
    • Elder Tadej Vitovnički
    • Elder Thaddeos of Vitovnica
    • Elder Zacharias of Essex
    • father Dumitru Staniloae
    • father Elias Minjatios
    • Father George Calciu
    • Father Seraphim Rose
    • Father Stephen Freeman
    • Father Vasileios Kalliakmanis
    • Father Vasileios Thermos
    • Fotis Skhinas
    • Fyodor Dostoyevsky
    • Gerontissa Philothei of Karea
    • Ioan Ianolide
    • Ken Kesey
    • Kostas Nousis
    • Metropolitan Amphilochios of Montenegro
    • Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol
    • Metropolitan Augustinos (Kantiotis) of Florina
    • Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Patra
    • Metropolitan Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos
    • Metropolitan of Diokleia Kallistos Ware
    • Nele Weduwen, Postgraduate student at Theology
    • New Testament
    • Old Testament
    • Patriarch of Constantinople Gregory V
    • Paul Saffo
    • Prof. Georgios Mantzaridis
    • Protopresbyter George Metallinos
    • Protopresbyter John Romanides
    • Robert Capa
    • Saint Ambrose of Optina
    • Saint Anthony the Great
    • Saint Apostle Paul
    • Saint Barsanuphius of Optina
    • Saint Barsanuphius the Great
    • Saint Basil the Great
    • Saint Cyril of Alexandria
    • Saint Diadochus of Photice
    • Saint Dionysius the Areopagite
    • Saint Dorotheos of Gaza
    • Saint Dyonisius the Aeropagite
    • Saint Ephraim of Katounakia
    • Saint Ephraim the Syrian
    • Saint Gennadius of Constantinople
    • Saint George Karslidis
    • Saint Gregory of Nyssa
    • Saint Gregory Palamas
    • Saint Gregory the Sinaite
    • Saint Gregory the Theologian
    • Saint Hesychius the Priest
    • Saint Ignatios of Antioch
    • Saint Ignatius Brianchaninoff
    • Saint Isaac the Syrian
    • Saint Isidore of Pelusium
    • Saint John Cassian
    • Saint John Chrysostom
    • Saint John Colobus
    • Saint John Jacob of Hozeva
    • Saint John of Damascus
    • Saint John of Kronstadt
    • Saint John of the Ladder
    • Saint John the Prophet from Gaza
    • Saint John the Russian
    • Saint John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco
    • Saint Joseph the Hesychast
    • Saint Justin Popovich
    • Saint Luke of Crimeea
    • Saint Makarios
    • Saint Mark the Ascetic
    • Saint Maximos the Confessor
    • Saint Moses of Optina
    • Saint Nectarios of Pentapolis
    • Saint Nektarios of Aegina
    • Saint Nicholaos Velimirovich
    • Saint Nicodemus the Athonite
    • Saint Nikephoros the Leper
    • Saint Nikodimos the Athonite
    • Saint Nikon of Optina
    • Saint Paisios the Athonite
    • Saint Peter of Damaskos
    • Saint Philaret of Moscow
    • Saint Poimen the Great
    • Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalivia
    • Saint Porphyrios the Athonite
    • Saint Seraphim of Sarov
    • Saint Silouan the Athonite
    • Saint Simeon the New Theologian
    • Saint Sophrony of Essex
    • Saint Symeon of Thessaloniki
    • Saint Symeon the New Theologian
    • Saint Thalassios the Libyan
    • Saint Theophan the Recluse
    • Saint Theophylactos of Ochrid
    • Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
    • Seneca
    • Soren Kierkegaard
    • Stanislav Lem (Solaris)
    • Theodoros Kolokotronis
    • Valeriu Gafencu

Archives

  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • June 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014

The images are copyrighted.
SHARE, don't steal!
Contact us.
Get it on Google Play