Kosmas the Aetolian | |
|---|---|
 Muralicon of Saint Kosmas | |
| Equal to the Apostles and Teacher of the Greek Nation | |
| Born | c. 1714 Aetolia |
| Died | 24 August 1779 Kolkondas,Pashalik of Berat in theOttoman Empire, now inFier District, modernAlbania |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Canonized | 20 April 1961 |
| Majorshrine | Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens |
| Feast | 24 August |
Kosmas the Aetolian, sometimesCosmas the Aetolian orPatrokosmas "Father Kosmas" (Greek:Κοσμᾶς ὁ Αἰτωλός,Kosmas Etolos;c. 1714 – 24 August 1779) was a monk, who is venerated as a saint in theEastern Orthodox Church. He is recognized as one of the originators of the twentieth-century religious movements in Greece.[1] He is also noted for his prophesies.[2]
Saint Kosmas, the"Equal to the Apostles," was officiallyproclaimed a Saint by theOrthodox Church of Constantinople on 20 April 1961 under the tenure of Ecumenical PatriarchAthenagoras.[3] His feast day is celebrated on 24 August, the date of hismartyrdom.
Kosmas was born in theGreek village ofMega Dendron near the town ofThermo in the region ofAetolia.[4] He studiedGreek and theology before becoming a monk after a trip toMount Athos, where he also attended the localTheological Academy.
After two years Kosmas left Athos. He studiedrhetoric inConstantinople for a time.[4] In 1760 he was authorized byPatriarch Serapheim II (who had marked anti-Ottoman tendencies) to begin missionary tours in the villages ofThrace – later extended to what would form the areas of bothWestern Greece andNorthern Greece. The Patriarch had reportedly been worried at the increasing rate of Christians converting to Islam in these areas.
Over sixteen years, Kosmas established many church schools in villages and towns.[5] He called upon Christians to establish schools and learnBiblical Koine Greek, so that they might understand the Scriptures better and generally educate themselves.
After theOrlov Revolt of 1770 in thePeloponnese (which was provoked by theOrlov brothers with the support ofCatherine II of theRussian Empire), Kosmas started to preach in what is now SouthernAlbania,[4] then under the rule ofAhmet Kurt Pasha, governor of thePashalik of Berat.
His preachings had aroused the opposition of the rich and powerful and others who felt their position threatened, such as thekotsampasides (Greek "village elders" whose power and influence was bound up with Ottoman power).[6]
Kosmas was also viewed with suspicion by officials of theVenetian Republic, then in its final stages of decline, which ruled parts of the territory where he was active. For example, in 1779 he is said to have visited the Venetian-ruled town ofPreveza and founded there a Greek school, which would be the only school of the city during the 18th century – an act which the Venetian authorities might have considered as undermining their rule.[7] The Venetians' suspicions are attested in spy reports about Kosmas preserved in the Venetian archives. In contrast, Kosmas had considerable support from other Christians and even from some Turks.
In his sermons Kosmas often refers negatively to theJews. Nevertheless, in one of his preachings he stated specifically that: "Those who wrong Christians,Jews or Turks (could refer to Muslims in general) would be paid back for the injustice they committed".[citation needed]
One effect of his preaching was to transfer the holding of the weeklybazaar (fair) from Sunday to Saturday, which brought economic losses to Jews – barred by their religion from engaging in business onSabbath. Some researchers believe that for that reason, Jews in Epirus were involved in his conviction by the Ottoman authorities.
Accused of being a Russian agent, he was seized by Ottoman authorities. On 24 August 1779, he was executed atKolkondas,Fier District, near the mouth of theSeman river (in present-day Albania). There were no formal charges brought against him, nor was he put on trial before being executed – leading to various theories, persisting up to the present, about who might have wanted him dead.
In 1813,Ali Pasha, thede facto independentMuslimAlbanian ruler of OttomanEpirus, southern Albanian and Macedonia, and an enemy of the Sultan, had a church built near the site of Kosmas' execution, in which the remains of Kosmas were placed.[8]
In 1984, the remains were transferred from theSt. Kosmas' Monastery inKolkondas, where he was killed, to the Archaeological Museum ofFier. Other relics of the saint are kept in theMetropolitan Cathedral of Athens. Saint Kosmas' pilgrimage is also revered in someGreek nationalist circles.[9][8] The latter are associated with theNorthern Epirus issue and support the annexation of this region to Greece.[10][8][9] Although ahellenizer, Saint Kosmas the Aetolian is still highly regarded byOrthodox Albanians for the message that he gave.[8]
There are numerous popular religious texts attributed to St. Kosmas. Best known are the five "Didaches" and the "Prophecies". An account stated that he prophesied the unification of Greece and Epirus.[2] There survives, however, no original manuscript of these texts written personally by St. Kosmas, and none can be dated with certainty. His writings are known only from second- or third-hand transcriptions.[11] It is believed that these texts are based on Kosmas' preachings but were written and copied mostly after his death.
Other relics of Saint Cosmas are kept in a special shrine at the main Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens, where some Northern Epirotes come to pray for the annexation of southern Albania by Greece. Though a purveyor of Hellenic culture, Cosmas Aitolos is still highly regarded among Orthodox Albanians in Albania and in the United States for the profound spiritual message and encouragement he gave.
Other relics of Saint Cosmas are kept in a special shrine at the main Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens, where some Northern Epirotes come to pray for the annexation of southern Albania by Greece. Though a purveyor of Hellenic culture, Cosmas Aitolos is still highly regarded among Orthodox Albanians in Albania and in the United States for the profound spiritual message and encouragement he gave.
... was particularly revered by a Greek nationalist milieu.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
