As of: February 27, 2024, 2:39 p.m
By: Annemarie Göbbel
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After beginning his cancer treatment, King Charles seeks spiritual exchange with Elder Ephraim, a Greek Orthodox monk and friend.
London - King Charles (75)'s inclination towards the Orthodox Church was practically born in his cradle.
His father, the late Prince Philip (99, †2021), was baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church before converting to Anglicanism and marrying Princess Elizabeth II (96, †2022), the future queen.
With his cancer diagnosis in mind, the monarch felt drawn to his origins and, as
The Telegraph
reported, sought spiritual guidance from his friend, archimandrite Elder Ephraim, 67.
King Charles' secret visits: Abbot Ephraim of Vatopedi and his royal guest
Born in 1956 as Vasilios Koutsou, Ephraim of Vatopedi is an Orthodox Christian hieromonk (monk-priest) and archimandrite (an honorary title comparable to that of abbot) from Greek Cyprus.
He currently holds the office of abbot at the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos.
According to reports in the Greek media, King Charles has already visited the monk eight times and is even said to have his own quarters there.
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The monarch has always had a strong fascination with various religious faiths, including Islam and Buddhism, and has always sought to act as a mediator between the various faith leaders.
His enthusiasm for the Orthodox Church also led the king to actively campaign for the rights of persecuted Christians in the Middle East.
He was involved in collecting funds for various Orthodox cultural assets and played a crucial role in saving his father's palace.
Clergyman talks about Charles' spiritual life and their special friendship
The priest shared, “Yes, he has been in contact since the diagnosis and I believe he will overcome it.”
He added, speaking to a Greek newspaper and a Greek television station: “Charles has a spiritual sophistication, a spiritual life.”
The friendship between Charles and him began in the late 1990s, when the king made several visits to Elder Ephraim's Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos in Greece.
The archimandrite described their bond as a “very good relationship.”
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Archimandrite Ephraim (left) and King Charles became friends at the end of the 1990s (photomontage).
© ITAR-TASS/dpa & Parsons Media/Imago
Last May, the monarch was crowned, with a Greek choir playing Psalm 71 in Greek in honor of his paternal legacy.
At this ceremony he was also anointed with chrism oil, which originated on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
Princess Alice of Battenberg, Charles' paternal grandmother, is buried there.
She died in 1969 at the age of 84.
Sources used:
orthochristian.com, telegraph.co.uk
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