“Saint Nicodemos the Athonite and his age.  
200 years since his falling asleep”

(November 2009)

Under the aegis Of His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

The year 2009 represented the completion of 200 years since the passing away of the much discussed and written about Athonite Father held to be as one of the most important theological minds of the Church, Saint Nicodimos the Athonite, who was decisively responsible for the renaissance of the philokalia and the dissemination of the nyptic tradition of the Church.  
The Theology School of The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Mount Athos Center decided together, because of this important occurrence, to organize an International Conference which would take place in November (November 6,7,8) under the aegis of His All Holiness The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, following his decision.

THE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
President: Antonios-Aimilios Tachiaos, Professor Emeritus of the Theology School of The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Members:
 Hieromonk Neilos of Simonopetra Monastery     
 Elder Nicodemos of St. Paul’s Monastery
Nikolaos Zacharopoulos, Professor Emeritus of the Theology School of The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Theodoros Yiangkou, Professor of the Theology School of The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Simos Paschalidis, Assistant Professor of the Theology School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

THE OPENING CEREMONY
During the official opening of the work of the Conference, which took place on Friday, November 6 at the Holy Church of Saint George-Rotunda, greetings were offered by the President of the Executive Committee of the Mount Athos Center, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Vasilios Papageorgopoulos, the President of the department of Pastoral and Social Theology of the Theology School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Christos Oikonomou, His All Holiness the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Anthimos, as well as representatives of both the Holy Community of Mount Athos and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Two Byzantine Music choirs, the choir of the School of Theology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, under the direction of the Rev. Spyridon Antoniou, Professor of Byzantine Musicology and Chair of the Dep. of Byzantine Music and the Chanting Arts at AUTH and a chorus of Athonite Fathers directed by Fr. Daniel sang hymns dedicated to the feast of the Saint and inspired by his works.  
The first day of work finished with two contributions:
-of Antonios Aimilios Tachiaos with the topic:  “Enlightenment and conservatism. The spiritual tendencies of the 18th century Greek territories.”
-of Critonas Chrisochoidis with the topic: “The Athonite reality in the years of Saint Nicodimos”

THE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
The work of the conference continued on Saturday, November 7th and Sunday, November 8th in the Public Library located on Ethnikis Aminis 27.

Saturday, November 7 2009
PUBLIC LIBRARY CONFERENCE HALL (ETHNIKIS AMINIS 27)

First Meeting
Elder Pavlos Lavriotis “SAINT NICODIMOS THE ATHONITE AS A MODEL MONK”
Constantinos Manafis, Professor Emeritus of the Philosophy School of Athens-Christos Arabatzis, Associate Professor of the Theology School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: “DEFENSE OF THE HANDBOOK ‘CONCERNING CONTINUOUS COMMUNION’ BY SAINT ATHOS OF PARIO. AN ANECDOTAL TREATISE”
Archimandrite Nicodemos Skrettas, Associate Professor of the Theology School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki:  “FATHERHOOD AND INSTRUCTION CONCERNING CONTINOUS COMMUNION IN THE KOLLIVADIKA WORKS”
Monk Moses the Athonite: “MONASTERIES FOUNDED BY KOLLIVITES IN GREEK TERRITORIES”

Second Meeting
Photis Dimitrakopoulos, Professor of the Philosophy School of the University of Athens:  “THE RECENTLY DISCOVERED LETTERS OF SAINT ATHANASIOS OF PARIO IN THE HOLY MONASTERY OF THE EVANGELISMOS(ANNUNCIATION) IN SKIATHOS”
Monk Patapios Kavsokalivitis:  “THE SPIRITUAL FATHER OF SAINT NICODIMOS THE ATHONITE, HIEROMONK PARTHENIOS SKOURTOS”
Monk Theoktistos Dochiaritis: “SAINT NICODIMOS AND THE HOLY MONASTERY OF DOXIARIOU. HYMNOGRAPHY AND OTHER SUBJECTS’
Monk Nicodimos Bilalis: “THE UNIQUE ETHNIC OFFERING OF SAINT NICODIMOS IN HIS BOOK ‘NEW LISTING OF MARTYRS’”(1799)

Third Meeting
Christos Economou, Professor of the Theology School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki “EXEGETICAL APPROACH TO THE SEVEN UNIVERSAL EPISTLES ACCORDING TO SAINT NICODIMOS THE ATHONITE”
 Asterios Argiriou, Professor Emeritus of the University of Strasburg: “THE INTERVENTIONS OF THEODORITOS FROM IOANNINA IN THE FIRST EDITION (1800) OF THE RUDDER”
 Theodoros Yiangkou, Professor of the Theology School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: “NEW INFORMATION REGARDING THE AUTHORSHIP AND PUBLISHING OF THE RUDDER”
 Lora a Gerd, Research Collaborator of the Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences: “THE ACCEPTANCE OF OTHER RELIGIONS AND FAITHS IN THE WORKS OF SAINT NICODIMOS THE ATHONITE AND SAINT PAISIOS VELICHKOVSKI”

Fourth Meeting
Nicolaos Zacharopoulos, Professor Emeritus of the Theology School of The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki “IN THE NOUS AND IN THE HEART, IN WORD. THE LANGUAGE OF SAINT NICODIMOS”
Panagiotis Nikolopoulos, Professor Emeritus of the Philosophy School of Athens: “ISSUES REGARDING THE TRANSLATION OF ANCIENT BIOGRAPHIES IN SIMPLER FORM. THE CASE OF THE LIFE OF SAINT ANTONIOS OF ATHENS”
Athanasios Karathanasis, Professor of the Theology School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki:  “COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLICATIONS OF SAINT NICODIMOS THE ATHONITE”
Constantinos Pitsakis, Professor of The Dimokritio University of Thrace: “CONCERNING INCORRECT INFORMATION ON SAINT NICODIMOS THROUGH QUALITY TEXTS”
Simeon Paschalidis, Associate Professor of the Theology School of The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: “CONTRIBUTION TO RESEARCH OF MANUSCRIPTS ON THE TRADITION OF THE PHILOKALIA”

 (Intermission during the conversation by Panagiotis Nikolopoulos, Professor Emeritus of the Philosophy School of Athens with the topic “Additions and Corrections in the bibliography of Saint Nicodemos the Athonite”)

Fifth Meeting
Panagiotis Skaltsis, Associate Professor of the Theology School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: “HOLY ICONS AND HOLY VESSELS CRISIS OR USEFULNESS? THE VIEWPOINT OF THIS ISSUE ACCORDING TO SAINT NICODIMOS THE ATHONITE.
Constantine Karaisaridis, Assistant Professor of the Theology School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki:  “NICODIMOS THE ATHONITE, MAKARIOS OF CORINTH AND PAISIOS VELITSKOFSKI.  RELATIONSHIPS AND ADDITIONAL IMPACT WITH SPECIAL MENTION IN THE PUBLICATION OF THE PHILOKALIA”
Archpriest Spyridon Antoniou, Assistant Professor of the Theology School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: “THE VIEWS OF SAINT NICODIMOS CONCERNING SACRED HYMNS”
Dimosthenis Stratigopoulos, PhD. Lecturer of the Philosophical School of Nis, Serbia: “SEARCHING FOR THE SOURCES OF THE NEW THEOTOKARION OF SAINT NICODIMOS”
Dimosthenis Kaklamanos, PhD. (Cand.):”THE NEW EKLOGARION AND ITS SOURCES”


Sunday, November 8, 2009
PUBLIC LIBRARY CONFERENCE HALL (ETHNIKIS AMINIS 27)

Sixth Meeting
Monk Lucas Philotheits: “SAINT NICODIMOS, A NEW CLIMACUS: THEOLOGY OF THE ANABATHMI OF THE OCHTOECHOS (BOOK OF THE EIGHT BYZANTINE TONES)”
Monk Elia Citterio:  “THE ‘SYMBOLIC HANDBOOK’ OF SAINT NICODIMOS, NEW INFORMATION”
Despo Lialiou, Professor of the Theology School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: “THE SYMBOLIC HANDBOOK, METHOD OF THEOLOGY AND COMPLETION”
Marialena Caramouzi, Doctor of the Philosophy School of the Academy of Research of Sofia, Bulgaria: “THE ‘REPUTE OF CHRISTIANS’ OF SAINT NICODIMOS AND ITS OPPOSING RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER ‘REPUTES’”

Seventh Meeting
Phaidon Chatziantoniou, Architect ΚΕΔΑΚ :”THE ATHONITE CELLS OF SAINT NICODIMOS”
Melina Paisidou, Head of the 9th Committee of Byzantine Antiquities: “THE PHILOKALIA IN THE FRESCOES OF PRESPES: PANAGIA PORPHYRA, SAINT GERMANOS”
Trifon Tsobanis, Lecturer of the Theology School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: “SENSATIONS AND AESTHETICS ACCORDING TO SAINT NICODIMOS THE ATHONITE”