G Government of the MR

Definitions

• Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain shall be the official name of the sovereign nation and shall indicate the totality of the territory and the citizens of the sovereign nation.
• Monastic Republic shall be the shortened name of the sovereign nation.
• Mt. Athos shall indicate the name of the mountain at the end of the peninsula.
• Holy Mountain shall indicate the territory of the monasteries, access to which is prohibited to women.
• The Lowland shall indicate the plain between the Holy Mountain and the border of the Hellenic Empire.
• The Isles shall indicate the island of Amoulián and its adjacent isles which lie in Holy Mountain Bay to the west of the Lowland.
• Monk shall indicate the men who live in the monasteries of the Holy Mountain.
• Citizen shall indicate the men, women, and children of the laity who live in the Lowland and the Isles.
• People shall indicate the monks and citizens of the Monastic Republic.

The Archimandrite

• Sovereignty over the Serene Monastic Republic of the Monastic Republic is vested in the duly elected Holy Synod.
• The Archimandrite Archimandrite (αρχιμανδρίτ) is the Head of State and the Head of Government.
• As head of state and government, the Archimandrite possesses the executive power of the Republic and must answer to the Holy Synod who possess the legislative power.
• The Archimandrite is the Chairman of the Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Monastic Orthodox Church of the Holy Mountain.
• As Bishop of the Autocephalous Monastic Orthodox Church of the Holy Mountain, the Archimandrite governs as an autocrat to whom the Holy Synod act merely as advisors.
• The Archimandrite is appointed from the twelve Orthodox hegumens in a rotation determined by the order of precedence of the monasteries for a term of five years.
• Upon appointment the Archimandrite is sworn in at the Divine Liturgy in the presence of the other nineteen Hegumens and Abbots. At this Divine Liturgy he is consecrated bishop by his predecessor.
• The oath is administered to the new Archimandrite by the previous Archimandrite and witnessed by the signatures of the nineteen Hegumens and Abbots.
• Should the office of Archimandrite become vacant before the end of the term, the Hegumen next in the order of precedence is sworn in and begins his five-year term.

Order of Precedence

according to the Fourth Typikon, as amended:

ineligible to provide the archimandrite

1. St. Athanasios
2. Annunciation
3. St. John the Baptist
4. Holy Cross
5. Transfiguration
6. Holy Archangels
7. Sts. Peter and Paul
8. St. Philotheus
9. Presentation of Jesus
10. St. George
11. Theophany
12. Ascension
13. Forty Martyrs of Sebaste - Armenian
14. St. George the Painter - Bulgarian
15. St. John the Iberian - Georgian
16. St. Sava - Serbian
17. St. Panteleimon - Russian
18. St. Nicholas - Cambrian
19. St. Maroun - Maronite
20. St. Thomas - Assyrian

List of Archimandrites

1. 1870 - Demetrius of St. Athanasios
2. 1875 - Paul of Annunciation
3. 1880 - John I of St. John the Baptist
4. 1885 - Stephen of Holy Cross
5. 1890 - Basil of Transfiguration (first bishop)
6. 1895 - Andrew of Holy Archangels
7. 1900 - Alexander of Sts. Peter and Paul (dies of pneumonia 1902)
8. 1902 - John II of St. Philotheus
9. 1907 - Manual of Presentation
10. 1912 - Joseph of St. George
11. 1917 - Gregory of Theophany
12. 1922 - Isidore of Ascension
13. 1927 - Matthew of St. Athanasios
14. 1932 - Jeremias of Annunciation
15. 1937 - Metrophanes of St. John the Baptist
16. 1942 - Cosmas I of Holy Cross
17. 1947 - Cosmas II of Transfiguration
18. 1952 - Gabriel of Holy Archangels
19. 1957 - Methodius of Sts. Peter and Paul (killed in a fall 1961)
20. 1961 - Maximus of St. Philotheus
21. 1966 - Theophanes of Presentation of Jesus
22. 1971 - Simeon of St. George
23. 1976 - George of St. Theophany
24. 1981 - Zosimus of Ascension
25. 1986 - Ephrem of St. Athanasios
26. 1991 - Gregory of Annunciation
27. 1996 - Basil of St. John the Baptist (resigns in 2000 due to illness)
28. 2000 - Theodore of Holy Cross
29. 2005 - Nicephorus of Transfiguration
30. 2010 - Loukas of the Holy Archangels

The Holy Synod

• The Holy Synod is the legal organ representing all the People and represents and asserts the rights and interests of the People, and promotes the welfare of the Monastic Republic.
• The Holy Synod meets on the first Monday and Tuesday of each month to conduct their business.
• The Hegumens and Abbots are elected by universal, free, equal and direct suffrage of the monks in their respective monasteries for a five-year term.
• Candidates for the Holy Synod must be citizens of the Monastic Republic for at least five years, at least 35 years of age, and not deprived of their eligibility by reason of Law.
• Regular elections of the Hegumens and Abbots are held in November.

The Holy Council

• The twenty monasteries are grouped into four groups, five to a group.
  • The Eastern group: St. Athanasius, Sts. Peter and Paul, St. Philotheus, St. John the Iberian, St. Nicholas
  • The Northern group: Annunciation, St. George, St. Sava, Ascension, Transfiguration
  • The Western group: St. John the Baptist, Presentation, Theophany, St. Thomas, Forty Martyrs
  • The Center group: Holy Cross, St. Pantaleimon, St. George the Painter, Holy Archangels, St. Maroun
• The Holy Council consists of four monks, known as the protos elected for two-year terms by all the members of each group. They function as advisors and assistants to the archimandrite.
• None of these protoi may come from the same monastery as the archimandrite.
• The four meet monthly with the Archimandrite to carry out the business of the Monastic Republic.
• One hegumen on the Holy Council is the Seneschal of the Monastic Republic and advises the Archimandrite on all matters economic and financial.
  • The Hegumen Seneschal shall collect all revenues of the Monastic Republic.
  • The Hegumen Seneschal shall prepare the annual budget and present it to the Holy Synod.
  • The Hegumen Seneschal sets the inflation target which the Bank of the Moonastic Republic must set interest rates to meet.
  • The Hegumen Seneschal’s signature shall appear on all banknotes.
  • The Hegumen Seneschal shall initiate all tax measures.
  • The Hegumen Seneschal shall advise the Holy Synod on urgent expenditures not included in the budget.
• One hegumen on the Holy Council is the Constable of the Monastic Republic and advises the Archimandrite on all matters of national security.
  • The Hegumen Constable is the national security policy advisor to the Archimandrite. He is responsible for the formulation of security policies and for the execution of approved policy.
  • The Hegumen Constable shall monitor the prison and supervise the treatment of prisoners on remand and of convicts.
  • The Hegumen Constable shall prepare identification cards for the citizens of the Monastic Republic.
  • The Hegumen Constable shall recruit citizens for service in the Constabulary.
  • The Hegumen Constable shall recommend to the Archimandrite suitable citizens to be awarded commissions in the Constabulary.
  • The Hegumen Constable shall provide for the registration and licensing of motor vehicles.
  • The Hegumen Castellan shall provide for animal control in the Monastic Republic.
• One hegumen on the Holy Council is the Castellan of the Monastic Republic and advises the Archimandrite on all matters concerning the real property of the Monastic Republic.
  • The Hegumen Castellan shall supervise the maintenance and repair of the real property of the Monastic Republic.
  • The Hegumen Castellan shall supervise the beautification of the real property of the Monastic Republic.
  • The Hegumen Castellan shall supervise the care and use of the Monastic Republic’s territorial waters.
  • The Hegumen Castellan shall supervise the environmental issues and activities of the Monastic Republic.
  • The Hegumen Castellan shall protect the historial and cultural legacy of the Monastic Republic.
  • The Hegumen Castellan shall keep the Monastic Republic's lighthouses functioning.
• One hegumen on the Holy Council is the Archiater of the Monastic Republic and advises the Archimandrite on all matters concerning the health and education of the Citizens.
  • The Hegumen Archiater shall supervise the educational system of the Monastic Republic.
  • The Hegumen Archiater shall supervise the hospital and clinics of the Monastic Republic.
  • The Hegumen Archiater shall provide for the rescue and medical emergency measures of the Monastic Republic.
  • The Hegumen Archiater shall maintain the purity of the Monastic Republic’s water supply.
  • The Hegumen Archiater shall supervise the health standards of the restaurants in the Monastic Republic.
• Each protos has a deputy protos (upoprotos) who works for him in the office in Prosforion handling the day-to-day business.

The Lowland and the Isles

Towns

There are three towns, one village and one gendarmery post in the Monastic Republic.

• Towns (πoλ)
  • Prosforion is on the bay side of the peninsula, close to the border of the Holy Mountain.
  • Aktí is on the sea side of the peninsula.
  • Amoulián is on the island of the same name. It can be reached by ferry from Prosforion.
• Village (χορί)
  • Karyes, the capital, is on the Holy Mountain.
• Gendermerie post
  • Dafni is the port for the Holy Mountain, located on the bay side. The Holy Mountain is accessible only by ferry from Prosforion. A detachment of gendarmes is stationed there to monitor the entrance to and exit from the Holy Mountain.

Administrative districts

There are four administrative districts, known as demes (διμ).

• The Holy Mountain itself.
• The island of Amoulián.
• The Lowland is divided into two districts by a line running down the center of the peninsula:
  • Prosforion on the western shore.
  • Aktí on the eastern shore.