Mitsotakis: The ‘voice of truth’ from Mount Athos must be heard more strongly in a confused, uncertain world

Mount Athos.-   Mount Athos and its monastic community are a “luminous centre of spiritual offering” and a “compass in a world that often loses its orientation,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday, in his response to welcoming speeches in the Holy Church of the Protaton in Karyes. He also emphasised the government’s practical commitment to “supporting its timeless course.”
Mitsotakis pointed out that Mount Athos, both internationally and especially for Greeks, has always been a place of “personal serenity, reflection, and upliftment,” while also serving as “a source of collective hope.”
The prime minister also referred to the government’s plan to launch projects worth 100 million euros by 2030 for the monastic state, which will involve infrastructure, preservation of relics, and environmental protection.
“ With respect, emotion, and great joy, I meet you again here at the Holy Church of the Protaton, in the heart of Athonite Monasticism, once again ready to express the gratitude of the State and our people for the immense work you do,” said the prime minister. He went on to emphasise the over-one-thousand-year-old religious, spiritual, and national contribution of Athos.
The Prime Minister stressed that the planned projects include the maintenance of the monasteries, their restoration following a recent earthquake, the protection of their relics, and interventions for preserving the unique natural environment of Mount Athos, as well as facilitating access for the thousands of pilgrims who visit.
Mitsotakis also noted that he would speak with the monks about issues concerning “security in the area” and other “challenges of our time.”
“ Above all,” he added, “about the ways in which the voice of truth and sobriety from the Athonite state can now be heard more strongly in a global environment of confusion and uncertainty.”
The prime minister noted that he has visited Mount Athos many times before, “as a citizen, as a party leader, and now as Prime Minister,” and continued:
“ So I want you to know that the government will stand by you, just as it will stand by all Christians in the wider region and the Middle East who are being tested. We will be by your side.
“This is a position I understand not only as the State’s duty to history and tradition, but also as a return offering-a debt of gratitude for the spirituality that the Garden of the Virgin Mary offers us.
“Allow me to say it plainly: I see this as a personal necessity.”

In his welcoming address, Elder Abraham wished the prime minister that the Virgin Mary, the protector of Mount Athos, “ may illuminate your actions and your service for the common good of the people and the homeland, and guide the state on paths of cooperation, justice, and spiritual renewal.”
The speeches were followed by refreshments offered to the prime minister and his entourage at the Holy Community Hall, in the presence of the abbots and representatives of the twenty monasteries of Mount Athos.

source: https://www.amna.gr