Hesychasm and Humility: When Orthodox Teachings Inspired a Catholic Monk

Elder Joseph of Vatopedi

On the days leading up to the Annunciation in 1983, a Roman Catholic monk, Father Lorenzo, accompanied by a lay friend of his from Italy, visited the monastery wishing to converse on spiritual matters with the Elder, who did not refuse them. Never did the Elder show any fundamentalist tendencies; but, of course, he always demonstrated exact knowledge and strict observance of the patristic tradition and Orthodox dogmas. Since he saw sincere interest on the part of Father Lorenzo, he engaged in a lengthy conversation with him. He stressed that the heterodox monks have a very important role, in that they must help their “church” to return to the sources, to the Fathers, to Grace, and to the experience of the Holy Spirit. They stayed for several days at the monastery. In one of their conversations, where I too was present, he recommended that they start translating the Fathers and studying them. However, the Elder made clear that while this study of patristic texts, and especially those of Saint Gregory Palamas, whom they discussed at length, would impart knowledge to them, they nevertheless would not be able to experience divine Grace, the uncreated energies, about which Saint Gregory theologizes, unless they enter the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church,” which is the Orthodox Church.

At Pascha 1983 the abbot of Father Lorenzo’s monastery, Abbot Orfeo, also visited us at the monastery. To him, too, our Elder Joseph stressed that they had a lofty mission in their “church,” to bring it back to its former condition, before the schism, when it was a single, undivided Church. Prompted by a question of Father Orfeo about the foundations of Christian monastic life and about the means by which one could attain divine Grace, the Elder said, “The Fathers of old gave themselves over to strict asceticism, vigils, fasting, and such. However, starting in the Middle Ages they grew less fit for that kind of harsh life. For example, Symeon the New Theologian did not do much asceticism, but nevertheless reached a high spiritual state through humility and unwavering obedience to his spiritual father. We today are very weak but can attain the same level of holiness as they did through humility and cutting our will.”

Influenced by the Elder’s words, Father Lorenzo translated the book Monastic Wisdom into Italian upon returning to his monastery in Italy. This book contains the letters of the blessed Elder, Saint Joseph the Hesychast. He also went on to translate other patristic texts. He had been impressed by our Elder, to the effect that when we later moved to New Skete he came to visit us in spring 1985, and he stayed with us for a substantial period of time. He expressed great interest in the inner life in Christ, in the hesychastic life. What the Elder was saying to him seemed unusual but very exciting to him, since, being heterodox, they had neither knowledge, nor experience of course, of subjects concerning hesychasm or watchfulness. I recall that in one of their conversations, where I too was present, the Elder was explaining to him that the monasticism of the heterodox is built around external activity, and not on inner activity, the finding of the “deep heart” (Ps. 63:7), that is, the union of the nous and heart. For this reason, those who wish to experience these states must receive Orthodox baptism, which is the foundation of dogma and life.

In the dialogue that the Elder maintained with the Roman Catholics, but also on later occasions with other heterodox who came to visit and to meet him—even including high dignitaries from abroad—we can see the Elder’s freedom. He was not scared to enter into a dialogue with anyone. In fact, with his polite, discerning, and prayerful way, he always won over those he spoke with. The Elder was very strict when it came to alterations of Orthodox dogma, but he nevertheless had great compassion and prayed for his heterodox brothers, whose beliefs were in error. He did not pray for them alone, but also for all people who seek to “come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4).

Archimandrite Ephraim of Vatopedi, Elder Joseph of Vatopedi, “How He Received the Heterodox,” translated by the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi, (Mount Athos, Greece: Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi, 2025), pp. 287-288.