Porphyrios Bairaktaris

Who was Porphyrios Bairaktaris?

Porphyrios Bairaktaris was an Athonite hieromonk known for his gifts of spiritual discernment--i.e. a type of clairvoyance which he sometimes called "spiritual television."

A native of Evia province, the future Elder Porphyrios became a monk at the age of fourteen or fifteen. He served in the Athonite skete of Kafsokalyvia, in the Cell of St. George, under two spiritual fathers: Fr. Panteimon and Fr. Ionnakios. Forced by pleurisy to depart the Holy Mountain, he returned to his birthplace, where he was unexpectedly elevated to the priesthood at the age of 21 by Porphyrios III, Archbishop of Mount Sinai and Raithu. With the outbreak of World War II he became a hospital chaplain in Athens, in which post he continued for three decades. His later years were devoted to the construction of the Holy Convent of the Transfiguration of the Savior. After 1984 he returned to Mount Athos, occupying the same cell which he had earlier in life been forced to abandon.

Through his role as spiritual father, Elder Porphyrios became known to an ever-wider circle of Orthodox followers. Several compilations of stories and sayings attributed to him have been published.