Greece’s minister of health, Thanos Plevris, was welcomed on Thursday at the Holy & Great Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, where he arrived for private visit.
Plevris, an elected Parliament deputy, had faced a life-threatening health problem six years ago, which he overcame with the intercession and grace of the Panaghia of Paramythia.
While on the Holy Mountain, the minister met with the four-member Holy Epistasia, the rotating body which represents the executive authority of the Holy Community.
The Protepistatis, or presiding member of the executive authority, Elder Christoforos of the Iviron Monastery, received Plevris, with a brief discussion taking place on timely issues affecting the semi-autonomous monastic community.
Also present was the Civil Governor of Mount Athos, Athanasios Martinos, who guided the minister on a tour of the Holy Community’s health center.
Still on Mount Athos, the collection of the remains of reposed Elder Dionysios, from the Kolitsou Skete, was solemnly conducted on Thursday.
Following an invitation by Hieromonk Dionysios II, an Elder of Vatopedi’s St. George ‘The Revealed One’ Cell, the Elder Archimandrite Ephraim, the Abbot of the Holy & Great Monastery of Vatopedi, was present, accompanied by His Grace Timotei, the Vicar Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest.
