MAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THE COUNTRY
The first good news to Greece was brought by St. Paul, but a new religion spread after the conversion of Emperor Constantine, in the 4th century. Greece is more than the territory of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Greek culture, language, literature, customs and traditions were common in all Greek colonies, and these are the waters of the Mediterranean and Black Seas. In Russia, the Byzantines were called Greeks, because they spoke Greek. Modern Greece is considered to be the heir of Byzantine Orthodoxy
In the difficult times of Ottoman rule, only thanks to Orthodoxy did the Greeks manage to preserve their language, culture and national identity. The church served as the unifying nucleus for the Greek people. In Greece, religion is not separated from the state. The constitution states that the official religion of Greece is Orthodox Christianity. The head of the Greek Orthodox Church is the archbishop. His residence is in Athens. Great religious holidays are celebrated at the state level.
7 facts about Greek Orthodoxy
1. In Greek temples, candles are placed in porches. There are no candlestick shops, money is put in boxes.
2. Priests in Greece wear the cross over their vestments only while serving with the bishop. In ordinary life, you will not see a cross over their robes. Crosses are not worn at all.
3. In Greek churches, only men sing in the choir.
4. Greeks confess only a few times a year. Confession is carefully prepared. Fasting, praying, communion.
5. In Greek temples there are stadia-sitting places.
6. The Greek Church lives according to a new calendar. Christmas is celebrated on December 25, and all church holidays are celebrated on days other than the Russian Orthodox Church.
7. The coat of arms of Byzantium, a double-headed eagle, is also the coat of arms of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Greece is an ideal country for pilgrimage trips. Temples and monasteries are literally there at every turn. The Greeks have a reverent attitude towards religion and history. Buildings are monitored, territory is taken care of. The most famous places of worship are:
● The Monastic Republic on Mount Athos has existed for many years and has preserved the Byzantine traditions of worship in unchanged form. There is no other place on earth where so many miraculous icons and relics of saints would be gathered. Unfortunately, only men can visit Athos, women are denied access.
● The island of Tinos
is located near Athens, and is famous for the icon of the Tinos Mother of God. In the midst of the struggle of the Greeks against the Ottoman occupiers, in 1823 the nun Pelagia appeared three times in a dream. She pointed to a certain place on the island. When excavations were carried out at this place, they found the icon. The icon became a symbol of the struggle for independence. At the place of its discovery, it was decided to build a church of Panagia of the Evangelistia of Tinos. The construction took many years and was completed in 1880, already in free Greece. There are many confirmed miracles that were performed through prayers at the icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God.
The Monastery of John the Theologian in Suroti
Women’s Monastery in Suroti is known for its strict regulations. The nuns are constantly praying and fasting. Sometimes this monastery is called the female Athos. It is not easy to enter the monastery, but access to the tomb of its founder Paisius Svyatogorets is open and many pilgrims come to venerate the saint every year.
● Athens
Parthenon — Pagan temple from history books for many years was a Christian church. There were kept the Gospel of St. Queen Helena, the relics of St. Macarius and many other artifacts. War and time have destroyed most of them. In the 13th century, the temple passed to Catholics, it was called Notre Dame D’Eton. Now about the Christian past resembles only part of the fresco with a story about the Annunciation on one of the walls. On the northern slope of the Acropolis is the temple of the Transfiguration, dating from the 14th century.
● Patmos
Z On this Greek island, John the Theologian wrote the last book of the Gospel — Revelation. Here, in the cave of the Apocalypse, he had a vision of the last days and the Second Coming. His student Prokhor recorded the vision from the words of the teacher. During the Arab raids, the island was deserted. Residents were taken into slavery, buildings were destroyed. In 1088 Blessed Christodoulus Latrinos arrived at Patmos and founded the monastery of John the Theologian.
• Thessaloniki
The most famous temple in Thessaloniki is the Basilica of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki. Demetrius was a proconsul of the Byzantine emperor. He openly preached the teaching of Christ. He was arrested and killed for that. His relics performed many miracles. The relics of the saint for a long time myrrhage. Mirro was collected in glass vessels. The earliest of these dates back to the 9th century. My saints were taken to Italy and only returned to Thessaloniki in 1980. In Russia, the saint was revered as the patron saint of soldiers. His name is often mentioned in Russian chronicles.
Patrols
In this city lived and preached St. Andrew the First-Called. It was here that he was martyred. Like Christ, he was crucified. The cross for crucifixion had an unusual appearance, was beveled. This cross is now called “Andreevsky”. The saint was not nailed to the cross, but tied on ropes. For 2 days he preached from the cross to the people of Patra. According to legend, when St. Andrew died, the cross caught fire.
The Temple of Andrew the First-Called in Patras is the most famous temple dedicated to the Apostle. It contains the head of the apostle, and the particles of the cross are inserted into a large “Andreevsky” cross. Pilgrims come to the island of Corfu to venerate the relics of Saints Anna, Euthymia, Arsenius, Jason and Sosipatra, which are kept in the convent of Pantocrator.
The relics of Corfu’s patron saint, Spyridon of Trimifunt, are kept in the temple of St. Spyridon in Kirkyra, the island’s capital.
● Krit
Titus, a disciple of the Apostle Paul, preached much in Crete. His name is mentioned many times in Paul’s letters to the churches, and one letter is addressed directly to Titus.
Tit founded 9 dioceses on the island, converted the locals to Christianity. For a long time the relics of the saint were kept in Venice, but in 1966 the cancer with the relics of the saint was returned to the island. It is kept in the Cathedral of St. Titus, the main temple of the island.
Meteors
The first hermits settled in the local caves long before the monasteries were built here in 10. The Monastery of the Transfiguration was founded by Athanasius Meteorsky, who came here from Mount Athos.
In the heyday, in the 11-13 centuries, there were 24 monasteries on the rocks. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the only way to get to the rocks was a net that was raised on ropes. This is how cargo and people were delivered. Roads have now been laid to the monasteries. There are so many temples, monasteries and holy places in Greece that wherever you are, there is always a place to worship. Healing relics, miraculous icons, ancient frescoes — all this will enrich pilgrims with a special spiritual experience, allow them to feel close to the first Christians, learn more about the saints of the Orthodox Church.
In the difficult times of Ottoman rule, only thanks to Orthodoxy did the Greeks manage to preserve their language, culture and national identity. The church served as the unifying nucleus for the Greek people. In Greece, religion is not separated from the state. The constitution states that the official religion of Greece is Orthodox Christianity. The head of the Greek Orthodox Church is the archbishop. His residence is in Athens. Great religious holidays are celebrated at the state level.
7 facts about Greek Orthodoxy
1. In Greek temples, candles are placed in porches. There are no candlestick shops, money is put in boxes.
2. Priests in Greece wear the cross over their vestments only while serving with the bishop. In ordinary life, you will not see a cross over their robes. Crosses are not worn at all.
3. In Greek churches, only men sing in the choir.
4. Greeks confess only a few times a year. Confession is carefully prepared. Fasting, praying, communion.
5. In Greek temples there are stadia-sitting places.
6. The Greek Church lives according to a new calendar. Christmas is celebrated on December 25, and all church holidays are celebrated on days other than the Russian Orthodox Church.
7. The coat of arms of Byzantium, a double-headed eagle, is also the coat of arms of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Greece is an ideal country for pilgrimage trips. Temples and monasteries are literally there at every turn. The Greeks have a reverent attitude towards religion and history. Buildings are monitored, territory is taken care of. The most famous places of worship are:
● The Monastic Republic on Mount Athos has existed for many years and has preserved the Byzantine traditions of worship in unchanged form. There is no other place on earth where so many miraculous icons and relics of saints would be gathered. Unfortunately, only men can visit Athos, women are denied access.
● The island of Tinos
is located near Athens, and is famous for the icon of the Tinos Mother of God. In the midst of the struggle of the Greeks against the Ottoman occupiers, in 1823 the nun Pelagia appeared three times in a dream. She pointed to a certain place on the island. When excavations were carried out at this place, they found the icon. The icon became a symbol of the struggle for independence. At the place of its discovery, it was decided to build a church of Panagia of the Evangelistia of Tinos. The construction took many years and was completed in 1880, already in free Greece. There are many confirmed miracles that were performed through prayers at the icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God.
The Monastery of John the Theologian in Suroti
Women’s Monastery in Suroti is known for its strict regulations. The nuns are constantly praying and fasting. Sometimes this monastery is called the female Athos. It is not easy to enter the monastery, but access to the tomb of its founder Paisius Svyatogorets is open and many pilgrims come to venerate the saint every year.
● Athens
Parthenon — Pagan temple from history books for many years was a Christian church. There were kept the Gospel of St. Queen Helena, the relics of St. Macarius and many other artifacts. War and time have destroyed most of them. In the 13th century, the temple passed to Catholics, it was called Notre Dame D’Eton. Now about the Christian past resembles only part of the fresco with a story about the Annunciation on one of the walls. On the northern slope of the Acropolis is the temple of the Transfiguration, dating from the 14th century.
● Patmos
Z On this Greek island, John the Theologian wrote the last book of the Gospel — Revelation. Here, in the cave of the Apocalypse, he had a vision of the last days and the Second Coming. His student Prokhor recorded the vision from the words of the teacher. During the Arab raids, the island was deserted. Residents were taken into slavery, buildings were destroyed. In 1088 Blessed Christodoulus Latrinos arrived at Patmos and founded the monastery of John the Theologian.
• Thessaloniki
The most famous temple in Thessaloniki is the Basilica of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki. Demetrius was a proconsul of the Byzantine emperor. He openly preached the teaching of Christ. He was arrested and killed for that. His relics performed many miracles. The relics of the saint for a long time myrrhage. Mirro was collected in glass vessels. The earliest of these dates back to the 9th century. My saints were taken to Italy and only returned to Thessaloniki in 1980. In Russia, the saint was revered as the patron saint of soldiers. His name is often mentioned in Russian chronicles.
Patrols
In this city lived and preached St. Andrew the First-Called. It was here that he was martyred. Like Christ, he was crucified. The cross for crucifixion had an unusual appearance, was beveled. This cross is now called “Andreevsky”. The saint was not nailed to the cross, but tied on ropes. For 2 days he preached from the cross to the people of Patra. According to legend, when St. Andrew died, the cross caught fire.
The Temple of Andrew the First-Called in Patras is the most famous temple dedicated to the Apostle. It contains the head of the apostle, and the particles of the cross are inserted into a large “Andreevsky” cross. Pilgrims come to the island of Corfu to venerate the relics of Saints Anna, Euthymia, Arsenius, Jason and Sosipatra, which are kept in the convent of Pantocrator.
The relics of Corfu’s patron saint, Spyridon of Trimifunt, are kept in the temple of St. Spyridon in Kirkyra, the island’s capital.
● Krit
Titus, a disciple of the Apostle Paul, preached much in Crete. His name is mentioned many times in Paul’s letters to the churches, and one letter is addressed directly to Titus.
Tit founded 9 dioceses on the island, converted the locals to Christianity. For a long time the relics of the saint were kept in Venice, but in 1966 the cancer with the relics of the saint was returned to the island. It is kept in the Cathedral of St. Titus, the main temple of the island.
Meteors
The first hermits settled in the local caves long before the monasteries were built here in 10. The Monastery of the Transfiguration was founded by Athanasius Meteorsky, who came here from Mount Athos.
In the heyday, in the 11-13 centuries, there were 24 monasteries on the rocks. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the only way to get to the rocks was a net that was raised on ropes. This is how cargo and people were delivered. Roads have now been laid to the monasteries. There are so many temples, monasteries and holy places in Greece that wherever you are, there is always a place to worship. Healing relics, miraculous icons, ancient frescoes — all this will enrich pilgrims with a special spiritual experience, allow them to feel close to the first Christians, learn more about the saints of the Orthodox Church.
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