Ad Orientem: Father Dimitrios: The Orthodox Monk Who was a British Spy

Sunday, July 21, 2019

A fascinating and somewhat disturbing story.

Read it here.

Anna said...: slightly different take here on the timing of his becoming a spy. https://www.academia.edu/35755540/DAVID_BALFOUR_AN_ENGLISHMAN_IN_THE_EASTERN_ORTHODOX_MELTING_POT; 7/21/2019 9:06 PM
Randy said...: This explains it: "St Silouan told him to go back to Paris. The young priest-monk, however,
ignored his spiritual mentor’s advice and spent 1936–
41 in Athens." He unfortunately apostasized soon after that. Luckily though, about 40 years later he finally repented and came back to the church after a miraculous midnight revelation. He confessed before fr. Sophrony and finally traveled to Paris as St. Silouan had told him to. I think his miraculous midnight revelation only could have occurred through the prayers of the monks of st. Panteleimon's monastery on mount Athos, without them he may have remained forever in apostasy.; 7/27/2019 12:28 AM
BorisJojicj said...: Thank God he returned to the faith. I knew a Greek Fr. Demetrios, who said that his uncle, an Archimandrite,worked for the CIA. Then there was the Greek monk, who had a bright red beard. The occupying Germans mistook him for an English spy.My spiritual father is red-bearded(now grey) priest. But he had an Irish mother☺; 7/29/2019 5:13 PM