During the Italian domination Kalymnos experienced difficult situations due to the fascist ruling.The Dodecanese should not be Greek. The administration of the islands was no longer called 'The Dodecanese Administration' but 'The Italian Administration of the Aegean Sea'. Those who had set the foundations of the 'new status quo' believed that it was possible to efface 'the feeling of freedom, native country and religion' through violence ; a belief which was false since such feelings were part of the people's conscience. By enforcing the teaching of the Italian language in schools, forbidding the use of the Greek language and forcing the people to live restricted, the Italian government thought that the Dodecanese would become a genuine part of the Italian state.
In the beginning of October 1934, the Metropolitan bishop of Rhodes, Apostolos of Kalymnos - Leros and of Kasos - Karpathos after the order by the Italian government to correspond directly through the Patriarchate, met at Rhodes to discuss about the of the Dodecanesean Church. After the conference and realising that the Patriarchate wouldn't agree to the independence of the Dodecanesean Church, the Metropolitan bishops announced their abdication and went to the Monastery of Panormitis in Simi. Their intention was to force the Patriarchate to grant the Dodecanesean Church the 'autocephalous' in order to enforce.
All the priests in Kalymnos, following the instructions of the National Organisation, met secretly at the church of Ipapandi ( Kouvousena ) and swore on the Holy Altar that because of the dangers that the church faced, they : 1) renounced the Metropolitan bishop Apostolos and commmemorated only the Patriarch, 2) decided to struggle and suffer anything until the Patriarchate gave the proper solution to the problem that was previously mentioned, 3) would remain united, 4) if one priest was arrested than the church would be persecuted and 5) no ceremonies would be held except for the Christening - if it was absolutely necessary - and only secretively - 'total secrecy' - according to the 'agreement'.
On the 19th January 1935, a secret conference of the administration of the 'National Union of Kalymnos', made the decision to order the priests to close the churches from the following day, on the 20th January. Therefore, from that day and until the 2nd May 1937, the church of Kalymnos was persecuted and all ceremonies were held secretively in the houses by the priests.
While every priest on the island agreed, P'' Themelis Tsagaris, who was arrested and imprisoned as being one of the pioneers of the Kalymnian resistance to the Italian plans, apologised to the Metropolitan bishop. Apostolos then, sent him back to Kalymnos in order to make both the priests and the people realise that they had been deceived. However, he didn't succeed and was considered an enemy. The people rebelled while the 'kambaneli' - those who favoured the Metropolitan bishop - tried to 'break' their unity.
On a Sunday in February 1935, the 'karabinieri' tried to arrest P'' Mihalis Tsougranis in Panagia, Chora, but the whole village resisted and helped him to escape to Greece. After that incident the villagers forced Patellis, the mayor, to resign.
This situation though, became really dangerous on the 7th April 1935, when the armed 'karabinieri' and the marines patrolled Pothia. A man called Kalogiannis, who was a monk, and Italian administration attempted to hold the mass of the Fourth Sunday of the Fasting period. The Kalymnians though, didn't welcome them. The 'karabinieri' and the soldiers intervened and maltreated the women. It was then, that the nuns of the 'Monastery of Evagelistria' in Argos, holding the Holy Cross, try to reach Christ. They were attacked by the 'karabinieri', who broke the Cross and injured the nun that held it. Nevertheless, the nuns didn't withdraw and then Nardone, the Italian commander, decided to use other means in order to repel them ; he ordered the soldiers to take off all of their clothes in front of the nuns. His plan was successful. The people withdrew to 'Marasi' in Agios Nikolaos and entrenched they start pelting the Italians with stones. 'They surrounded the soldiers who were forced to shoot and kill a shepherd, who was thought to have incited the riot' - that was the official announcement made by the Italian administrators. The situation remained the same and the Italian administration proclaimed it as 'public danger', so it enforced a local military law.
In the early hours of the 7th April 1935, the Italian police arrested Zographos, the Archimandritis, the priests Mih. Thomas, Mih. Kavasilas, Th. Kin........, Nik. Drakos, Poseidon Zairis and the members of the natonal resistance, Georgis Mangos, Sak. Billiris, Ant. Psarobas, Tasos X'' ............., Manolis Karpathios, Ant. Dan. Zervos, Ant. Kalogiannis, Nik. Koufos, Mih. Skardasis, Mih. Svinos, Mikes Zographos, Kon. Tomazos and Georgis Zembilas. On the 8th April, 52 more Kalymnians were imprisoned, too, as being responsible for the riots.
During 1935 - 1937 the Kalymnians continued their resistance until the churches opened again and the island was no longer under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Apostolos.
In the beginning of 1936 the situation was still. Both the people and the priests were united and didn't draw back. The Kalymnian teachers secretly taught the children how to read and write in Greek.
