Abbots of Vatopedi, Xenophontos Athonite Monasteries to attend enthronement of Ukrainian schismatic with Pat. Bartholomew

As OrthoChristian reported yesterday, two abbots from Mt. Athos will be accompanying Patriarch Bartholomew to the enthronement of “Metropolitan” Epiphany Dumenko, the head of the new Ukrainian schismatic group, on February 3 in Kiev.

Today, the Greek site Romfea reports that those two are Abbot Ephraim of Vatopedi and Abbot Alexios of Xenophontos.

According to exclusive information from Constantinople, Pat. Bartholomew asked them to join his delegation to Kiev in order to mitigate the impression created by the Holy Mountain’s decision as a whole not to send a delegation.

At an extraordinary session on January 28, the Sacred Community of Mt. Athos, consisting of a representative of each of the 20 ruling monasteries, voted against sending a delegation, though 5 monasteries—Iveron, Stavronikita, Xenophontos, Koutloumousiou, and Pantocrator—voted in favor.

Meanwhile, other monasteries, including Philotheou and Karakallou, have said that if Epiphany Dumenko comes to Mt. Athos, they will close their gates to him.

Source: Orthochristian.com