Ascetics

There is just one problem with this narrative: it is deeply misleading. And, for political reasons, that confusion matters.

As the philosopher Martha Nussbaum reminds us in her fascinating new book The Cosmopolitan Tradition, asked where he came from, Diogenes the Cynic answered with a single word: kosmopolités, meaning "a citizen of the world."

The rushed canonization of Father Paisios may have helped his fans feel vindicated for idolizing a priest once known for his homely utterances but who in recent years became more famous for outrageous prophecies, including a devastating war between Russia and Turkey that will benefit Greece and allow it to retake Istanbul (Constantinople).

Thousands of pilgrims from all around the world are converging on the site where Saint Paisios was laid to rest to pay homage and receive the grace of the Mount Athos monk, whose reputation has surpassed the Greek borders. The Saint of the Greek Orthodox Church was canonised in 2014, and many of his speeches and words have been recorded in dozens of books and audio clips posted online.

The tension between Turkey and Russia after the shooting down of the Russian jet fighter Su-24 have caused many Greeks to turn to the Elder Paisios’ prophecies regarding a war between Russia and Turkey.