Paisios of Mount Athos


Saint Paisios of Mount Athos, born Arsenios Eznepidis, was a well-known Greek Eastern Orthodox ascetic from Mount Athos, who originated from Pharasa, Cappadocia. He was respected for his spiritual guidance and ascetic life and many people worldwide highly venerate Elder Paisios, especially in Greece and in Russia.
Venerable Elder Paisios was canonized on 13 January 2015 by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the church commemorates his feast day on July 12 |June 29 / July 12 .
The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided at its meeting of 5 May 2015 also to add the name of the Venerable Paisios of Mount Athos to the Menology of the Russian Orthodox Church, establishing his feast day on June 29/July 12, aligning with the Menology of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople during the present century.

Biography

On, Arsenios Eznepidis was born in Pharasa, Cappadocia, shortly before the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Arsenios' name was given to him by St. Arsenios the Cappadocian, who baptised him, naming the child for himself and foretelling Arsenios' monastic future. After the exchange, the Eznepidis family settled in Konitsa, Epirus. Arsenios grew up there, and after intermediate public school, he learned carpentry.
During the civil war in Greece, Arsenios served as a radio operator. In 1950, having completed his service, he went to Mount Athos: first to Father Kyril, the future abbot of Koutloumousiou monastery, and then to Esphigmenou Monastery.
Arsenios, having been a novice for four years, was tonsured a Rassophore monk on 27 March 1954, and was given the name Averkios.
Soon after, Father Averkios went to the idiorrhythmic brotherhood of Philotheou monastery, where his uncle was a monk. While there, he was in obedience to Elder Symeon. On 12 March 1957, Elder Symeon tonsured Father Averkios to the Small Schema, giving him the name Paisios, in honour of the indefatigable,, whose native village was Pharasa.

Timeline

In 1958 Elder Paisios was asked to spend some time in and around his home village so as to support the faithful against the proselytism of Protestant groups. He greatly encouraged the faithful there, helping many people. Afterwards, in 1962, he left to visit Saint Catherine's Monastery on Sinai where he stayed for two years. During this time he became beloved of the Bedouins who benefited from his presence both spiritually as well as materially as the Elder used the money he received from the sale of his carved wooden handicraft to buy the Bedouins food.
On his return to Mt. Athos in 1964 Elder Paisios took up residence at the Skete of Iviron before moving to Katounakia at the southernmost tip of Mt. Athos for a short stay in the wilderness there. The Elder's failing health may have been part of the reason for his departure from there. In 1966 he had an operation removing part of his lungs. It was during this time of hospitalization that his long friendship with the then young sisterhood of in Souroti, just outside Thessaloniki, began. During his operation he needed a large amount of blood and a group of novices from the monastery donated blood to save him.
In 1968 he spent time at the Monastery of Stavronikita.

Prophecies on geopolitical matters

A number of geopolitical prophecies have been credited to Elder Paisios. These include the prediction that a war between Turkey and Russia will lead to a restoration of a Greater Greece, including Albania, Macedonia, and Byzantium, and the conversion of a part of the Turks from Islam to Orthodox Christianity.
The Hieromonk Makarios of Mount Athos collected some of saint Paisios' prophecies and published them in 1990 -when the saint was still alive- in his book, "Words of Wisdom and Grace of the Elder Paisios the Hagioreite, I".

Glorification

The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate canonized Elder Paisios on 13 January 2015. Paisios' sainthood happened quickly according to church standards, and was the second-fastest sainthood in recent church history. On Sunday 17 January 2015 many faithful from across the Balkans went on pilgrimage to the monastery in Souroti, which St. Paisios helped found in 1967, culminating five nights of continuous prayers. Archbishop Damianos of Sinai, abbot of St. Catherine's Orthodox Monastery in Egypt's Sinai peninsula since 1973, was also present at the ceremonies.
On Sunday 25 January 2015 the first church in the world to be dedicated to Saint Paisios the Athonite was consecrated in central Limassol, Cyprus, in the neighbourhood of Ekali, across from Tsirion Stadium. The sacred service began at 6pm with the reception of the holy relics of Hieromartyr Heraclides, Bishop of Tamassos, of Saint Cosmas of Mount Athos, and of the New Martyr George of Cyprus. These were placed respectively in the three altars of the new church, which was thus dedicated to Saint , to Saint Paisios of Mount Athos, and to the holy Martyrs Barachisius and Jonah, given that the church in Pharasa, Cappadocia, which was Saint Arsenios' and Saint Paisios' village and place of birth, was dedicated in honour of the Martyrs Barachisius and Jonah.
On Saturday 11 July 2015, the first church in Greece to be dedicated to Saint Paisios was consecrated in Nea Efesos, Pieria, Greece. Metropolitan George of Kitros, Katerini and Platamonas officiated at the thyranoixia.
In 2017 on the feast day of Saint Paisios, Metropolitan Nikolaos of Phthiotis remarked that "Saint Paisios was the saint of the dispirited and of sinners". While Metropolitan Seraphim of Kastoria stated that "Saint Paisios is the response to those who question the presence of God".
On Sunday 24 February 2019, the first Athonite church dedicated to St. Paisios the Athonite was consecrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon of Xanthi. The church is located in Kapsala, in the area between Karyes and the monasteries of Pantocrator and Stavronikita, where there used to be a skete.

Works

;Translated into English
;In Greek