Nikodim Tsarknias
Encyclopedia
Nikodim Tsarknias is an ethnic Macedonian
Orthodox Christian monk
and self-declared Archimandrite
who originates from the Greek
region of Macedonia
. In 1973 he was an ordained as a member of the Greek Orthodox Church
, but was expelled for misconduct in 1991.
The reasons for his expulsion are disputed. The Church of Greece accused him of serious ethical misconduct, and after a decision of the Holy Synod he was brought to ecclesiastical justice
. He was found guilty by both the first-instance court and the ecclesiastical court of appeals, and he was then dismissed on March 11, 1992.
According to Tsarknias and ethnic Macedonian sources, when he was a personal secretary to the Florina
diocese
's bishop
, he opposed what he saw as an attempt by the Bishop to eradicate ethnic Macedonian religious customs. It is argued that, in 1991, after declaring his Slavo-Macedonian identity and communicating with parishioners in the Macedonian language
he was dismissed from his ecclesiastical post in the diocese of Florina
; the Church of Greece argues, however, that Tsarknias declared his Slavo-Macedonian identity only after the accusations for ethical and sexual misconduct (homosexuality).
Following his expulsion from the Greek Orthodox Church, he became an ordained member of the Macedonian Orthodox Church
.
He has claimed that he has been harassed due to his ethnic Macedonian identity. He has been the subject of numerous court cases, one of them over the attempted establishment of a Macedonian church in Aridea. He was sentenced in May 2004 to three months in prison on the charges of "establishing and operating a church without authorization".
In 2009 he was sentenced to six months in prison for beating a 12 year old in 2002. The boy allegedly vandalized Tsarknias' home with eggs and stones. Tsarknias restrained the child and brought him to the local police station after child refused to give the names of his parents, but Tsarknias was subsequently charged for assault. Tsarknias accepted that he "managed to grab the child by his arm", saying that he "didn't hurt the child" and that the judge was harsh on him, stating "the main judge did not let us prove that I did not hurt the child because she wanted to sentence me as soon as she could" and that he was charged out of revenge for campaigning for the rights of the ethnic Macedonian
minority in Greece (whose existence is officially denied by the Greek state).
Macedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
Orthodox Christian monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
and self-declared Archimandrite
Archimandrite
The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
who originates from the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
region of Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
. In 1973 he was an ordained as a member of the Greek Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
, but was expelled for misconduct in 1991.
The reasons for his expulsion are disputed. The Church of Greece accused him of serious ethical misconduct, and after a decision of the Holy Synod he was brought to ecclesiastical justice
Ecclesiastical jurisdiction
Ecclesiastical jurisdiction in its primary sense does not signify jurisdiction over ecclesiastics , but jurisdiction exercised by church leaders over other leaders and over the laity....
. He was found guilty by both the first-instance court and the ecclesiastical court of appeals, and he was then dismissed on March 11, 1992.
According to Tsarknias and ethnic Macedonian sources, when he was a personal secretary to the Florina
Florina
Florina is a town and municipality in mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'. It is also the Metropolitan seat for the region. It lies in the central part of Florina peripheral unit, of which it is the capital. Florina belongs to the periphery of West...
diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
's bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, he opposed what he saw as an attempt by the Bishop to eradicate ethnic Macedonian religious customs. It is argued that, in 1991, after declaring his Slavo-Macedonian identity and communicating with parishioners in the Macedonian language
Macedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
he was dismissed from his ecclesiastical post in the diocese of Florina
Florina
Florina is a town and municipality in mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'. It is also the Metropolitan seat for the region. It lies in the central part of Florina peripheral unit, of which it is the capital. Florina belongs to the periphery of West...
; the Church of Greece argues, however, that Tsarknias declared his Slavo-Macedonian identity only after the accusations for ethical and sexual misconduct (homosexuality).
Following his expulsion from the Greek Orthodox Church, he became an ordained member of the Macedonian Orthodox Church
Macedonian Orthodox Church
The Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric or just Macedonian Orthodox Church is the body of Christians who are united under the Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, exercising jurisdiction over Macedonian Orthodox Christians in the Republic of Macedonia and in exarchates in the Macedonian...
.
He has claimed that he has been harassed due to his ethnic Macedonian identity. He has been the subject of numerous court cases, one of them over the attempted establishment of a Macedonian church in Aridea. He was sentenced in May 2004 to three months in prison on the charges of "establishing and operating a church without authorization".
In 2009 he was sentenced to six months in prison for beating a 12 year old in 2002. The boy allegedly vandalized Tsarknias' home with eggs and stones. Tsarknias restrained the child and brought him to the local police station after child refused to give the names of his parents, but Tsarknias was subsequently charged for assault. Tsarknias accepted that he "managed to grab the child by his arm", saying that he "didn't hurt the child" and that the judge was harsh on him, stating "the main judge did not let us prove that I did not hurt the child because she wanted to sentence me as soon as she could" and that he was charged out of revenge for campaigning for the rights of the ethnic Macedonian
Macedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
minority in Greece (whose existence is officially denied by the Greek state).