K.I.: Fr. Paul, what do Elders mean to you?

Fr. Paul: Elder Porphyrios is a great leading light of Greece. He, Fr. Paisius, Elder Ephraim of Katounakia, and Elder Sophrony, the former Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Forerunner in Essex, are considered by the monks on Mt.Athos, (which is the best criterion), to be the four greatest Elders of contemporary Orthodoxy,

How can we measure the value of these people? They are people who show that Christianity is true and can be lived.

It is necessary for believers to see it being lived, because we usually see ourselves and those around us having difficulty living the Christian life. In moments of great anguish or struggle, a person asks himself if it is possible to put Christ's words into practice or not?

These people show us that beyond doubt the Gospel is livable. Since they managed it, all of us can manage it, because we all have a calling to succeed.

What do people expect from the Church? Personally, I have worked in the Church, in Cyprus and abroad, for years. People no longer hope for charity or the other forms of help that the Church gave during the Middle Ages or during the Turkish occupation.

Today people look for spirituality. How to pray, how to communicate with God? Does God exist? How can God exist if no one seems to have lived the word of God or to know Him personally and directly?

This is why the witness of those great Fathers like Elder Porphyrios and the others, that I mentioned are irreplaceable. No word can replace a lifetime."

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