Following the recent removal of the Facebook page "ΓΕΡΟΝΤΑΣ ΠΑΣΤΙΤΣΙΟΣ / ELDER PASTITSIOS", which posed as a satire yet in reality was a mockery of Elder Paisios the Athonite, Metropolitan Nicholas of Fthiotidos made the following comments to newsbomb.gr as to why Elder Paisios is still mocked 19 years after his repose:
"He was a great Saint of our Church and this is reflected in the thousands of people who flock daily to the Holy Monastery of Saint John in Souroti Thessaloniki, in order to venerate his grave."
Commenting on his acquaintance with Elder Paisios since 1972, he said: "He was always a support for the troubled soul. Those who knew him admired him for his humility and the love he showed. He literally ached for his fellow man. In fact, whenever we sent him someone who was in a difficult position in order to be helped, despite the fact that he also suffered, he would thank us."
Regarding the Facebook page that was recently removed, he remarked: "They made fun of Christ Himself, so why would they not put it to the Elder! However, the anonymous ones who hide behind that page have not figured out that as much as they ridicule him, the more he rises in the public consciousness. They 'knock' him because he is a great Saint. His Sainthood is evidenced by the fact that some dark minds try to tarnish his image. But of course his Sainthood is not mocked. There is of course the case that these are mindless fools who think they are making jokes. But there are other issues to joke about. Sacred things are not to be teased nor mocked."
