“I Write As It Comes Down To Me”: Papadiamantis as a Poet and the Ethos of Inspiration. 115 Years Since His Repose.

Photograph of Alexandros Papadiamantis by Pavlos Nirvanas at Dexamenis Square in 1906.

By Stelios Koukos

“I write as it comes down to me.” How tragic —  and how beautiful! Tragic for a professional journalist when he is asked to write an article and he gets blocked, loses his bearings, doesn’t know where to begin or where to end; and a blessing when it comes to a poet, who is guided by inspiration to write something within the personal form he has established for himself.

This is also the case with a prose writer of the stature of Alexandros Papadiamantis, who uttered the above phrase. It was particularly tragic for him to be asked to improvise, in a sense, on the spot, on a topical subject, writing an article to be published in a newspaper. Nothing could be more shocking for a poet — such as the great writer from Skiathos! Even for the same man who worked in the press as a translator from English and French newspapers.

Nevertheless, Papadiamantis was probably put in an awkward position before his employer, the legendary Constantinopolitan publisher Vlasis Gavrielidis, who asked — or rather entrusted — him with this task. He believed that Papadiamantis would be the most suitable person to write it. Perhaps he even thought that Papadiamantis would express the “line” of the publisher and the newspaper.

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On Religious Cinema

 

By His Eminence Metropolitan Saba (Isper)

With the ongoing rise and spread of movies and television series, the production of religious films follows this trend. The approach to depicting religious events on screen varies depending on the production entity behind them. As the "seventh art"[1] developed, the number of production houses multiplied, and cinematic technology reached levels close to the fantastic. Because religious matters are among the most significant fields of human concern, across religions and sects, it is natural that the dramatic arts would follow religious themes though for different reasons.

Like any art form, religious art is used for purposes of evangelization, education, documentation, and to promote the beliefs upheld by the producers. Neutrality is rare, especially in this field. In our times, both private and public institutions, even official bodies, compete to present this type of art because it attracts large audiences and stirs the emotions of the religiously inclined in general. Thus, it is now almost impossible to find a screen that does not occasionally present something that touches on religious themes, especially in these troubled days, when appealing to religious emotions has become widely popular.

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Bach's Christmas Oratorio (Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Mani)

Bach's Christmas Oratorio 

By Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Mani

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685 in Eisenach, in central Germany, and died in 1750 in Leipzig — indeed, blind. Shortly before his death, he dictated his final musical piece, whose theme was: “Before Your throne, Lord, I now draw near.” As is internationally known, he was a supreme composer who found rich inspiration in the texts of Holy Scripture.

Among his artistic works is also his noteworthy creation, the Christmas Oratorio. Bach has bequeathed to us three oratorios: the Christmas Oratorio, the Easter Oratorio, and the Ascension Oratorio — if we exclude the three surviving works titled Passions (according to Matthew, Mark, and John), which, although written in the oratorio form, together with other similar works came to constitute a distinct genre bearing the classical name Passions, such as those by Schütz, Telemann, Handel, and others.

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On World Mental Health Day (October 10th)

 

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

October 10th of each year is considered a day dedicated worldwide to mental health. It was established in 1994 by the World Federation of Mental Health and the World Health Organization, in order to raise public awareness of mental illness issues. This is because mental illnesses are constantly increasing, to the extent that experts are talking about a global "epidemic" of mental disorders, such as those related to depression or alcohol consumption. And in our country, things are not better. There are statistics that show that 10 to 12% of the total population of all ages suffers from mental illnesses, while as for adolescents, there is their expressed statement (2 out of 5) that they are not satisfied with their lives and do not feel generally "well".

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The Hatred of the Internet

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

The newspaper Ta Nea (5/19/2025) conducted an investigation titled "The Keyboards of... Hate", in which the data of the Ministry of Citizen Protection on cases of abusive speech on social networking media were presented, and "testimonies of victims of abusive speech" with the consequences in the psychological sphere are recorded. In fact, "the perpetrators act with the belief that they will not be prosecuted."

In the main article of the same newspaper simply titled "Hate" it is written:

"In recent years, a new type of hatred, extremely dangerous and complex in its forms, has spread with disproportionate consequences. The hatred of the Internet. Today's research by 'NEON' not only describes its versions. Not only does it emphatically note its effects. But it also underlines the current legislative framework and the institutional shield that we have or must expand against the carriers of this hatred.

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