Nov 13, 2007 Update- Esphigmenou persecution continues

The report directly from Esphigmenou Monastery is that the food supply is running dangerously low. Getting food to the monastery has been very difficult since the Greek Government banned shipments to the monastery back in 2003. Since then, its been up to private donations, which can only be brought in very small deliveries, and in addition must be smuggled in. If anyone is caught delivering food, medical supplies, heating oil etc to Esphigmenou Monastery by police, they would be turned back or even arrested. These small deliveries of food are helpful but with a monastery as large as Esphigmenou, the largest on Mt. Athos, with approximately 100 monks, the food does not got far. The government is continously harassing the monks and is not allowing visitors to the monastery directly. The Greek Government is now floating the idea, we will confirm this as soon as possible, that everyone on Mt. Athos will be given ID cards, except of course for the monks in Eshpigmneou Monastery. This in time, would block any monk that leaves Esphigmenou from ever returning to the monastery. This is a dark time for Mt. Athos, for the Orthodox faith, and for all of Greece.