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December 10, 2011

On Immature Elders


By Monk Moses the Athonite

Some immature, ambitious, inexperienced, totally tasteless of basic spirituality clergy appear as elders, thus satisfying desires, passions and fantasies.

This phenomenon is worthy of carefulness and worthy of tears.

Young people who have never had obedience, seek absolute obedience from their spiritual children.

They themselves live a shallow spiritual life and enforce rules impossible for beginners.

They are strict with others and very lenient on themselves.

They want to make their parishes into monasteries to compel followers to a heavy typikon, only to be admired as traditional and strict.

They want to create fanatic followers, frozen and servile.

They want to afflict souls and ultimately delay the actual spiritual ascent, afflicting them with their occupation with unnecessary and tedious details.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos