Commemorated on May 13, October 10 and September 22
In the year 1274 at the Council of Lyons in France, the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Paleologos decided to buttress his waning power by forming a union with Rome. This policy aroused universal discontent. In 1278, the Emperor issued a decree to introduce the Union at Constantinople by forceful measures if necessary.
Mount Athos stood in firm opposition to the Union. The monks sent a letter to Michael pointing out that accepting the primacy of the Pope, commemorating him in the churches, celebrating the Eucharist with unleavened bread, the insertion of the “filioque” [“and from the Son”] into the Creed, could not be accepted by the Orthodox, and they begged the Emperor to change his mind. In their letter they wrote, “We see clearly that you are becoming a heretic, but we implore you to forsake all this and to abide in the teachings which have been handed down to you.... Reject the unholy and novel teachings of false knowledge, speculations, and additions to the Faith.”
Crusaders left Palestine, and finding refuge in the Byzantine Empire, declared to the Emperor their readiness to uphold the power of the Pope by fire and sword. Furthermore, Michael hired mercenaries, both Turks and Tatars, to enforce his decree.
The Emperor hated the monks of Mount Athos for their opposition. Since he did not want to provoke the Greeks, he decided to attack the Slavic monks on Mount Athos. By Michael’s orders, the servants of the Pope descended upon the Bulgarian Monastery of Zographou. When their demand to accept the Union was presented to the Zographou monks, they refused to listen. They held fast to the doctrines of the Fathers, and fearlessly censured those who accepted the Latin teachings. The majority of the Zographou monks left the Monastery, but twenty-six of the most steadfast remained within the Monastery tower and were burned alive on October 10, 1284.
Monks from Vatopedi, and Iveron Monastery as well as the Protaton in Karyes were also martyred for defending the Orthodox Faith during this turbulent time. The Athonite Patericon recounts the harsh expulsion of the Iveron monks from their monastery and how around two hundred of the elder monks were cruelly forced onto a ship that was then intentionally sunk, leading to their tragic deaths at sea. The younger, more able monks were then taken to Italy and sold into slavery. While some accounts pinpoint the catastrophe to the year 1259, other sources indicate that the Georgian monks on the Holy Mountain suffered under Latin persecution from 1276 to 1280.
We honor the memory of the holy martyrs who suffered at the hands of the Latins at Iveron, Zographou and Vatopedi Monastery on Mt. Athos. We celebrate their steadfast defense of the Orthodox Faith and pray for their intercession to protect us and fortify our commitment to our faith.
