Planning trip to Mt Athos

[George Azar]

Christ has Risen!
Hello all, this is my first post to this site and I have been monitoring certain threads now for a few weeks. I really enjoy the learning experience from all involved, so many thirsty converts!

I am planning on a pilgrimage to Mt. Athos with my 14y/o son-hopefully next year. I have read many different articles about the Holy Mountain and all the monastaries there. I have a question and problem, my wife (she is not Orthodox) does not understand why women are not allowed on the Holy Mountain. To be truthful, I am unable to find any information about this myself, I understand the edict by one of the emperors about no women and female animals with the exception of cats, but can someone enlighten me as to the religous reasoning/Traditions of Orthodoxy concerning this. I have read that our most Holy Theotokos, the Virging Mary landed there by mistake around 37AD.

Pray for me a sinner
George

[Richard Leigh]

Hi George,

Welcome to the forum. Last I heard (for good or ill) whoever is in charge of United Europe has decreed that Mt. Athos should be open to women. I don't know what authority that has over the independent state of Athos, but, for a while there was a lot of word back and forth about that on this board. I wouldn't be inclined to challenge the Holy Mountain on it though, but someone else on this list might be able to tell you whether this new "ruling" has actually gone into effect (I wasn't following the thread, perhaps it's already been mentioned).

I don't know the answer to your question, but my guess would be that from the beginning it has been considered a monastic "space," and except for Ireland, men and women have always been, (canonically, I think) separated in monastic life. I guess there weren't any women monastics on the peninsula that Athos forms, when it started being colonized by monks.

Richard

[George Azar]

Thanks for your response Richard

I have just looked through some of the previous threads about Mt. Athos and found that it will remain the same-no women! I agree, being a monastic community of monks there is no place for women, I don't say this to demoralize women in anyway, only that it is an all male community and has been for quite a long time now. Again, thanks for your response.

pray for me a sinner
George

[Fr. Michael Shanbour]

Dear George,

I was on Mt. Athos for the first time this year (in May-June). Wow, it is amazing! Yes, it is hard for us "westerners" to allowing anyone to be "excluded" from anything...everything is an issue of "equality" for us. The reason for no women on Athos is simple -- focus. You will experience this when you go. Not to mention the issue of tempation. Women's monasteries have very definite rules about men who visit as well, for similar reasons. The exlusion of women on Athos is only for the sake of focus and prayer. These men have "fled" the world and they don't need any distractions. Hope this helps a little.

Oh, also...while I was there I asked about why no female animals...it is not some kind of concern about beastiality...it is that the monks do not want even to see animals having sex (sorry to be so explicit!)