Archimandrite zacharias biography examples
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Archimandrite Zacharias (Zacharou)
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Archimandrite Zacharias, Ph. D., is a disciple of Elder Sophrony (of blessed memory), who was a disciple of St. Silouan of Mount Athos. Presently, Fr. Zacharias is a monk in the Monastery founded by Elder Sophrony: The Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist, Tolleshunt Knights by Maldon, Essex, England.
Fr. Zacharias was born and raised in Cyprus in an Orthodox Christian family. His mother became a nun toward the end of her life. As a young man, Fr. Zacharias left Cyprus to study Chemistry in London. Before he completed his studies, he became acquainted with Father Sophrony and his Monastery. Fr. Zacharias abandoned his studies in Chemistry and preferred instead to answer God’s calling and follow the monastic way of life in the Orthodox Church.
Elder Sophrony sent Fr. Zacharias to study at the Theological Institute of St. Serge in Paris where he spent five years, and then moved to Thessalonica for a further fourteen months, in order to obtain a second degree in Theology. Fr. Zacharias is fluent in Greek, Russian, French and English, and has translated Father Sophrony’s books from Russian into Greek.
Elder Sophrony gave Father Zacharias the blessing to write a doctoral dissertation under Professor George Mantzarides (who is a leading authority
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Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou
Question: Why have they included marriage in the Sacraments of the Church, and not monasticism?
Answer: Fr Sophrony said to me once: ‘Imagine that they do not accept monasticism as a sacrament of the Church, and marriage is one of the sacraments!’ Both of them should be considered sacraments because this is the way of Christ. The icons, for example, are not a sacrament, but they are a very strong vehicle transmitting the grace of God to us. Maybe they have not included monasticism in the sacraments because the monks were humble and did not wish to force their way. But now, after 2000 years, we can dare to speak. Many people do not realise that monasticism is a real, all-embracing gift of the Holy Spirit, because although we cannot reach His measure, the most approximate imitation of Christ is to be found in monasticism and it is only possible through the Holy Spirit.
The Church really wanted marriage to be blessed probably for pastoral reasons, because it was a struggle to have an honourable marriage in that world which was just coming out of paganism. The Apostle says that this mystery is great in the Church (see Eph. 5:32). He makes an effort to tell the Christians that the marriage is holy and the bed undefiled (Heb. 13:4) in