Elder Ephraim

[Andreea777]

Hello and sorry for my bad english.

If there is anyone who goes in the near future at father Epraim of Philoteou (in Arizona), please let me know. I wish i could ask him something.
Thank you so much!

 

[~Anastasia~]

Hello and sorry for my bad english.

If there is anyone who goes in the near future at father Epraim of Philoteou (in Arizona), please let me know. I wish i could ask him something.
Thank you so much!

I only wish I could go!

But I did want to say, welcome to CF and to TAW!

Hopefully someone can help you with that. We're glad to have you here!

 

[ArmyMatt]

not to his in AZ (although that place is amazing), I am close to two of his monasteries here, if I can help you at all in that way I would be more than happy to

 

[Andreea777]

Many thanks for both of you!

I wish I could ask father Epraim something and that's why i need someone's help who goes often there...

 

[ArmyMatt]

I wish I could go more, that place is amazing.

 

[Lyrasong]

I know that he has passed away now, but some of the reports coming out of his monasteries are very disturbing. If his monks and nuns truly counsel married couples to separate, so as to live ‘holier’ lives, such advice emanates from a very dark place. May the Lord have mercy upon us all.

 

[Phronema]

I know that he has passed away now, but some of the reports coming out of his monasteries are very disturbing. If his monks and nuns truly counsel married couples to separate, so as to live ‘holier’ lives, such advice emanates from a very dark place. May the Lord have mercy upon us all.

Do you have a reliable source for that audacious claim?

Frankly that seems unlikely that they'd be so consistent in keeping to the Holy Scriptures, and Tradition in general on everything else, but offer such poor advice on that one issue. In addition this is the first time I've heard a wild claim like this about them, and I know many married people who have been to the monasteries Elder Ephraim started, and fathered in the US, and not one of those people mentioned anything about receiving poor advice like that.

I'd be really interested to see your source.

In addition this is a really old thread. I'd start a new one personally.

 

[Lyrasong]

I was not familiar with Elder Ephraim, or his monasteries, prior to running an Internet search on the belief in ‘spiritual toll houses.’ The heartbreaking experiences of at least two married couples have been chronicled online, and are not difficult to locate. Is it acceptable to post links here?

My own experience of the Orthodox Church was different from the negativity associated with the Ephraimite monasteries, however, whilst also being pastored by kind and holy monks.

 

[prodromos]

I know that he has passed away now, but some of the reports coming out of his monasteries are very disturbing. If his monks and nuns truly counsel married couples to separate, so as to live ‘holier’ lives, such advice emanates from a very dark place. May the Lord have mercy upon us all.

My wife and I both went to confession with the current abbot of St Anthony's. We were not given any such advice. It sounds more like slander from those who do not like the monasteries. I do know of one married couple who entered monasteries in Greece, as did two of their children, but that was of their own volition and has happened many times in the past.

 

[prodromos]

I was not familiar with Elder Ephraim, or his monasteries, prior to running an Internet search on the belief in ‘spiritual toll houses.’ The heartbreaking experiences of at least two married couples have been chronicled online, and are not difficult to locate. Is it acceptable to post links here?

I would be very cautious about accepting anything found on the Internet at face value.

My own experience of the Orthodox Church was different from the negativity associated with the Ephraimite monasteries, however, whilst also being pastored by kind and holy monks.

We have visited two of the monasteries established by Elder Ephraim and our experience was very positive. I suggest you visit and make up your own mind.

 

[Platina]

There was a married guy the year above me in seminary who is a spiritual child of Fr. Paisios, the abbot at St. Anthony's. He lived in the dorm with us single guys while his wife remained where they were from to work. When he told Fr. Paisios this was their plan, rather than encouraging it and seeing a way to try to turn this man monastic, Fr. Paisios was very concerned that it would be too much of a strain on their marriage.

 

[Phronema]

I was not familiar with Elder Ephraim, or his monasteries, prior to running an Internet search on the belief in ‘spiritual toll houses.’ The heartbreaking experiences of at least two married couples have been chronicled online, and are not difficult to locate. Is it acceptable to post links here?

My own experience of the Orthodox Church was different from the negativity associated with the Ephraimite monasteries, however, whilst also being pastored by kind and holy monks.

Yes we're able to post links, but I agree with Prodromos. It sounds like baseless slander against the monasteries to me which is widespread on the internet. There are plenty of websites, and videos with negative things to say about his monasteries, and frankly I believe it stems from 1) Protestants who don't know anything about the Orthodox Church, or monasticism and immediately label it "cult-like", and 2) from the young man who passed away after having spent time at St. Anthony's in Arizona. I'd just add that in the latter case that young man had other documented problems prior to spending time in St. Anthony's. Not my intention to speak badly of the young man, but it has to be mentioned due to St. Anthony's being blamed for his death.

Lord have mercy.

I'd also add that regarding the tollhouses it's not just something that Elder Ephraim, and his monasteries are pushing. There are many different sources in Orthodoxy that talk about the tollhouses. From Athonite monks to the OCA, and the Russian Orthodox Church as well. It's certainly not exclusive to Elder Ephraim's monasteries.

 

[Not David]

Do you have a reliable source for that audacious claim?

Frankly that seems unlikely that they'd be so consistent in keeping to the Holy Scriptures, and Tradition in general on everything else, but offer such poor advice on that one issue. In addition this is the first time I've heard a wild claim like this about them, and I know many married people who have been to the monasteries Elder Ephraim started, and fathered in the US, and not one of those people mentioned anything about receiving poor advice like that.

I'd be really interested to see your source.

In addition this is a really old thread. I'd start a new one personally.

Did someone say "old"???

HOLY SENSELESS THREAD NECROMANCY, BATMAN!!!!

 

[prodromos]

I lived in Greece for twelve and a half years and was Orthodox for the last ten. I visited Mt Athos 4 times, once before I became Orthodox and 3 times after, the last time I went with my son. While living in Greece we had the opportunity to visit many monasteries.
My experience of the monasteries established by Elder Ephraim is exactly the same as I had in Greece. They teach nothing different in the USA to what is taught in Greece. Unfortunately the Greek Orthodox Church in North America has long been cut off from a strong monastic presence. It is a huge shock for them when one of their children chooses not to follow the plans laid out for them by their parents to become doctors or lawyers or taking over the family business, and instead commit their lives wholly to Christ by becoming monks and nuns, and they have often lashed out by slandering the monasteries.

Do not believe what you read on the Internet. Visit the monasteries and see for yourself what the truth of the matter is.

 

[prodromos]

Is it acceptable to post links here?

I'm not sure if you can post links until you have reached a minimum post count. It was a rule implemented to prevent people registering only to post links to their product or whatever. They want to make sure that people register as members of the forum, not just to use it as a sales or propaganda platform.

That said, it wasn't hard to find a couple of sites which purport to be Orthodox but seem to exist only to attack the monasteries established by Elder Ephraim.

 

[Phronema]

That said, it wasn't hard to find a couple of sites which purport to be Orthodox but seem to exist only to attack the monasteries established by Elder Ephraim.

I've seen plenty of it too just not the claim against marriage. That's a new one for me.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Did someone say "old"???

HOLY SENSELESS THREAD NECROMANCY, BATMAN!!!!
View attachment 277552

dead threads need to stay dead.

but on topic, when I was at St Anthony's, there were plenty of married couples who went in for confession, none that I saw came out mad or upset at such a penance.

 

[Not David]

dead threads need to stay dead.

but on topic, when I was at St Anthony's, there were plenty of married couples who went in for confession, none that I saw came out mad or upset at such a penance.

Isn't the purpose of penance to be discomforting?

 

[ArmyMatt]

Isn't the purpose of penance to be discomforting?

it can be, but in a medicinal, therapeutic, and restorative sense.

 

[Lyrasong]

Did someone say "old"???

HOLY SENSELESS THREAD NECROMANCY, BATMAN!!!!
View attachment 277552

Well, we are discussing Orthodoxy, after all