ΤΑ ΝΕΑ, women are not the creation of a lesser God

WOMEN ARE NOT THE CREATION OF A LESSER GOD
confrontation of Anna Karamanou with the Metropolitan of Thessaliotis and spokesperson for the Archbishop, Mr. Theoklitos.	21. 08. 2001

Should Mount Athos remain anathema for women?

The confrontation was sparked by the recent resolution of the European Parliament regarding women’s rights, which provoked a reaction from the Permanent Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. The cause is much deeper. Mount Athos is off-limits to women according to ancient Orthodox tradition. However, since the time this tradition was established until today, perceptions regarding women’s rights have changed in what could be described as a dramatic way. In Brussels, questions have even been raised before the European Commission by MEPs regarding whether “the ban on women visiting Mount Athos is compatible with EU regulations” and what “measures are intended to be taken to rectify this anomaly.”

The issue could be legally evaluated—and it is entirely possible that matters may reach that point. As is well known, Athos is under a special legal status.

On the other hand, various community agreements, regulations, and directives have validity within Greek territory. However, apart from being a legal puzzle, the differing opinions on the prohibition for women at Mount Athos reflect different hierarchies of values. On one side are those who argue that it is the right of a Church to determine matters within its own domain. On the other side are those who assert that the value of equality has, in today’s world, a universal character and does not allow for exceptions. This is, however, a secular perception of things, while Mount Athos is considered a natural domain of monastic asceticism.

Women everywhere…

1. The clubs of Pall Mall. The London « gentlemen‘s club» now accept women as members. The walls of the sanctum of the male establishment of Old Albion fell in the 1990s.

2. The American military. The clichés about “the weaker sex” no longer apply in the U.S. Armed Forces. From elite military academies to the cockpits of fighter jets, women have equal opportunities with men. The issue was also addressed in Hollywood in the film ” GΙ Jane», starring Demi Moore.

3. The Athens College. For several years now, the College has been “coeducational,” causing disappointment among some of the older alumni or proponents of its educational tradition.

4. Downing Street. Once again, Britain is a pioneer, where the “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher was elected Prime Minister in 1979.

5. The Anglican Church. The initiative to ordain women as priests provoked several intense reactions, but it was ultimately accepted.

ANNA KARAMANOU

Women are not the creation of a lesser God

The prohibition of women at Mount Athos, that is, the projection of gender as the sole reason for discrimination and exclusion, is not an isolated case in the long and painful history of women’s human rights. Until about the early 20th century, women faced prohibitions in universities, the arts, paid employment, and public life. In Europe, the few educated women who fought for the right to vote were ridiculed, assaulted, and imprisoned. In Greece, it was only in 1952 that the political ban was lifted and women were recognized as citizens with full rights.

Today, the guardians of tradition and the sanctity of Athos have once again unleashed their fury, and the most venomous misogynistic writers have been mobilized to teach us history and religion, as if the obvious human rights of the mothers who gave them life need historical or metaphysical justification, as if half of humanity is the creation of an inferior God. However, the angry reaction of the fanatics, along with the strong support from those who do not separate human rights by gender, demonstrate the strength of the values and principles of democracy and gender equality.

The right of monks to choose the lifestyle they desire is certainly respected. It is only questioned to the extent that it separates humanity into privileged and non-privileged genders, despite the Christian principle of “there is neither male nor female.” No one, of course, imagines that Athos could become a tourist resort. However, it could open its gates for a few hours or days to Christians of both genders. The invocation of tradition, under the current conditions of democracy and equality, is not sufficient to justify the prohibition of women’s access to the cultural, historical, and religious heritage of our land.

THEOKLITOS

Even non-Christian conquerors respected the sanctuary.

Traditions are meant to be respected and upheld. History shows that any people who do not honor their history and traditions lose their identity and ultimately their existence.

In this particular case, for over a thousand years, the monks have chosen this corner of the earth to find peace, based on the rules of the Church and monasticism. As is known, the entire area of Mount Athos may be part of Greek territory according to the Constitution, but it is divided among the twenty sovereign monasteries, which have every right to uphold the rules that, in their opinion, contribute to the deification of the monks residing in them.

With this logic, no one can violate their sanctuary, a sanctuary that has been respected by all non-Christian or heterodox conquerors to date.

It is not possible for some women to speak about their rights and, in their name, demand the abolition of the prohibition while, on the other hand, seeking to abolish the monks’ right to domestic sanctuary and the regulation of their private lives as they see fit.

The monasteries of Athos are neither museums nor recreational spaces, but places of worship and residences for clergy and monks who have freely chosen to withdraw from the worldly and dedicate themselves to prayer and spiritual struggle. No one has the right to violate this will of theirs.

Anna Karamanou is a MEP from PASOK.

Mr. Theoklitos is the Metropolitan of Thessaliotis and the spokesperson for Archbishop Christodoulos.

LΙΝΚS:

* www.ee.gr the website of the European Commission in Greece.