Letter of Drama Dorotheos for the return of relics of I. M. Eikosifinissa to the Minister of Culturetranslated

The Reverend Metropolitan of Drama, Mr. Dorotheos, expresses his reservations to the Minister of Culture, Ms. Lina Mendoni, regarding the recent agreement between Greece and Bulgaria for the return of 48 holy relics. His Eminence says: "I express my reservations about the interest that we, as Greece, derive from the agreement in question, at the moment when only the sacred relics stolen from the Holy Monastery of Eikosofinissa are 800 and the manuscripts 430". He emphasizes that "by handing over the bones, in the future we will have a strong bargaining power against the relics that remain".

The letter in detail:

Your Excellency Mr. Minister,

I am bothering you about the relics of the Holy Epiphany Monastery of our Holy Metropolis and Holy Monasteries of the Holy Metropolises of Serres and Xanthi which were captured by the Bulgarians at various time periods during the past century.

Until recently, in our regular telephone and personal communications, I often - frequently reminded you of the issue of the relics and manuscripts that were stolen from the Holy Monastery of Ikosifonissa and I always received your assurance that this issue is high on the agenda of the...