Former monk alleges Avakoum monk impersonated Saint Porphyrios in confessions

Nicosia, Cyprus. A former monk told the Nicosia criminal court on Wednesday that monk Nektarios of Avakoum monastery allegedly pretended to be Saint Porphyrios during confessions to encourage obedience.

The witness, who was a novice at the monastery from March 2022 until March 2024, also described alleged exhausting working conditions, limited family contact and inadequate rest.

Working conditions

The witness said monks working at the monastery’s confectionery workshop sometimes worked “from one morning to the next”, particularly during major religious celebrations.

He described difficult conditions in the workshop, including extreme temperatures and mice. He said monks sometimes slept on chairs or the floor due to exhaustion and alleged that some monks fainted while working.

Confession allegations

According to the witness, Nektarios changed his voice during confessions and pretended to be Saint Porphyrios, a revered Greek monk formally canonised by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2019.

The witness said the supposed saint instructed him to obey Nektarios because he was a “holy man”. He alleged that Nektarios would then pretend to faint and later say he could not remember what had happened.

“Now I understand that all of this was a lie,” the witness told the court, adding that he believed the alleged conduct was intended to create “blind obedience”.