A former monk informed the Nicosia criminal court on Wednesday that monk Nektarios of the Avakoum monastery pretended to be Saint Porphyrios during confessions and used the alleged incidents to encourage obedience.

The witness, who joined the monastery as a novice in March 2022 and left in March 2024, described what he said were exhausting working conditions, limited contact with his family and a lack of adequate rest.

He told the court that monks working in the monastery’s confectionery workshop sometimes worked “from one morning to the next”, particularly during major religious celebrations.

He said conditions in the workshop were difficult, with extreme temperatures and mice, and claimed monks sometimes slept on chairs or the floor because of exhaustion. He also described incidents in which monks fainted while working.

The witness further alleged that Nektarios would change his voice during confessions and pretend to be Saint Porphyrios.

Saint Porphyrios was a revered Greek monk who attracted large numbers of believers who sought his advice, many of whom regard him as a modern saint.

He was formally canonised by the ecumenical patriarchate in 2019.

According to his testimony, the supposed saint told him to obey Nektarios as he was a “holy man”.

He said Nektarios would then pretend to faint and later claim not to remember what had happened.

“Now I understand that all of this was a lie,” the witness told the court, saying he believed the purpose was to create “blind obedience”.

The witness also gave evidence regarding a wooden cross associated with Saint Porphyrios, claiming he initially believed it performed miracles because it appeared to stick to believers and sometimes “ooze” myrrh.

He further alleged that his clerical salary had been deposited into an account controlled by Nektarios, Porphyrios and another monk, despite documents containing signatures that he said were not his.

The defendants face charges including conspiracy to defraud, forgery, theft, money laundering and filing false tax returns.

Both deny the charges and remain free under restrictive conditions.

The hearing will continue on September 14.