Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios (†2006)

About Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios

Archimandrite Athanasios Mitilinaios was born in 1927 in Kifisia, a suburb of Athens, Greece. His father, George, was from Mitilini and his mother, Efrosini, from Samos. What his parents lacked in formal education they made up in spiritual wisdom and piety, richly bequeathed to Athanasios and his sister Grammatiki. He was drawn to a life of deep piety even before his adolescent years by the holiness and compunctionate liturgies of his childhood spiritual father and confessor, priest-monk Athanasios Hamakiotis. Athanasios studied the Scriptures from a very young age, held Bible studies in his neighborhood and in the adolescent correctional institution of Averof. He completed the requirements for two radio-electronics technical schools in Athens while serving in the Greek air force.

In 1960, when his parish priest-monk, Iakovos Schizas, was elected Metropolitan of Larisa, Athanasios was asked to join the holy priesthood and assist Metropolitan Iakovos in his ministry. After much prayer and with the blessing of his father, Athanasios was tonsured as a monk by the Metropolitan and was subsequently ordained into the priesthood. His first love, however, was sowing the divine word. He quickly established catechetical classes for all age groups in cities and in the country, in churches and in army barracks. For ten years, he cultivated the entire county of Larisa, planting and weeding, confessing, praying, liturgizing, nourishing and serving the people of God.

In November 1970, he gave into the holy desire of his closest disciples to become their Geronda [Elder], and re-established the abandoned holy monastery of Komnineiou in Stomion, a village thirty miles east of Larisa, overlooking the Aegean coastline. Even after his enthronement as abbot, he did not abandon his flock in Larisa, but continued to travel to the city Sunday afternoons and Mondays. This rigorous schedule (5-7 lectures per week) along with sleepless nights for over forty years undermined the health of the Elder.

His gift of preaching was such that scores of laity, professionals, and intellectuals would drive from Athens, Thessaloniki and nearby cities to be nourished by his pure spiritual milk (Peter 1:3). Dozens of tape recorders and video cameras recorded over 4,000 homilies, imbued with the Elder’s patristic, ecclesiastical, spiritual, and Orthodox phronema (mind-set). Yet, this is only a fraction of his work since most of the Elder’s homilies were never recorded. His recorded homilies were aired, and continue to be aired, by radio stations in Greece and abroad.

Many monks of Mount Athos were elated by the Elder’s great gift and continue to give the recorded talks to pilgrims who visit there, initially via audiotape, then CD, and now DVD and MP3’s. Recent spiritual giants such as Saint Paisios of the Holy Mountain and Abbess Makrina of Volos, also perceived the greatness of the Elder’s gifts. The Hagiorite intellectual monk, publisher, and writer Theoklitos Dionysiatis said of Elder Athanasios, “In our days, God has given us a man with the gift of the interpretation of Scripture.”

Today the spiritual fruit of the Elder nourishes monastics and laity around the world.

On May 23, 2006, at the age of 79, and after a long trial with his failing health, Elder Athanasios entered life eternal. We ask for his intercessions and his blessing upon the work which we are presenting and we pray that one day we will all be together in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Teachings of Elder Athanasius 

“During the [Roman] persecutions Christians dealt with horrific tortures of the body, however there was no interference on the mind or the soul. On the contrary, during the martyrdoms of [the Christians] of the end times we will [also] have interference on the soul and the methods [of torture] will be far more satanic. And this because they [the system of the Antichrist] will introduce inside of you chemical things [mind altering drugs] to paralyze your mind, your will power, will distort your sentiments and will disorient your mind."  

[*The Elder is referring to the psychiatric and chemical tortures which were used in, among other places, communist lands. Perhaps the Elder also, through his prophetic eye, foresaw that certain types of vaccines would be developed which destroy the psychosomatic balance of a person. Please see the footage at the end of this video which reveals that, at least as early as 2005, vaccines have existed that are designed to cause the effects the Elder mentions above. It is not known if these have been, or are being, used in our times. We also do not know if such vaccines have been used, or are being used, against the (ignorant) public.]

"It is well known to all that these methods have been implemented in our times. [Under these circumstances], how will you be able to confess Christ and not worship the Antichrist? A horrific torture indeed! That’s why [during those days] fleeing will be necessary. I repeat, fleeing will be necessary. Not only because we may not be able to withstand [the torture], but because we don’t know what our disposition will be like if they introduce chemical things inside of us."

“Another element is delusion. At least the ancient martyr clearly knew the differences between Christianity and idolatry. He knew that, as a Christian, he was faced against idolatry and had to put up a fight! Now that Christianity [and the Church administrations] have become secularised, things are not so clear anymore!"

[The Elder is implying that the most sly form of deception can now come from within the fallen Church administrations, and not so much from an outside source, such as idolatry.]

“The faith has become compromised and vague! One of the most fascinating and captivating elements will be that of miracle-working. The Antichrist will do many miracles. The pagans did not perform miracles! In general, deception will prevail and the truth will not be understood by secularised Christians. That's why our Lord says: 'And many false Christs and false prophets will arise, that will work marvellous signs and wonders, so as to deceive even the elect.'"

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