Church-State relations are heating up at a rapid pace after the Archbishop’s statement. The public message of the Archbishop, Hieronymos, after the attack received by the ND MP, Angeliki Delikari, by a Niki party official in Kavala, was welcomed at the Maximos Palace.
In this context, a rapprochement is being attempted and that is why the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Archbishop will make a joint visit to Thebes on Friday to a care unit for the elderly of the church.
The meeting will be the first after about 4 months of turmoil in government-church relations on the occasion of the legalization of same-sex marriage.
According to ANT1, the prime minister does not wish to go to the polls for the European elections with the church facing him and the prevalence of such a negative climate.
At the same time, the Archbishop, Hieronymos will meet on Tuesday morning with the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, Kyriakos Pierrakakis. According to the relevant announcement, the meeting is of a ceremonial nature and will take place at 10 am, in the building of the Ministry of Education, Religion and Sports.
The Archbishop’s message
The Archbishop, Hieronymos, put “ice” on all warm-blooded clergy as well as those who have an extreme “line”, while sending a clear message that “the Church does not take revenge”.
“Such events are not right. The Church is love. She complains, she says her positions, she is firm in them, but we must not forget that love is the one that is above all, as well as kindness and tolerance. These incidents are also due to everyone’s education and the influence of some people who perceive many things of the Church as revenge. The Church, however, does not take revenge. She loves, but she doesn’t leave her positions”the head of the Hellenic Church pointed out.
Chaos in the Parliament with Niki’s deputy, Nikos Papadopoulos
An intense political confrontation broke out during the meeting of the Social Affairs Committee, on the occasion of the attack on the member of parliament of Kavala of the New Democracy, Angeliki Delikaris, by a politician from Niki.
Specifically, the deputy of Niki, Nikos Papadopoulosaddressing government MPs said provocatively that the slap was just the beginning.
It is recalled that the Victory party expressed its disapproval of this specific incident, proceeding, in fact, to delete the politician and refer her to the Ethics Committee. However, the member in question, who has caused a sensation in the past with his anti-vaccination views, but also with the “bell” he had rung for ghouls, brought the issue to the parliament hall, causing a storm of reactions.
Referring to the same-sex marriage bill accused the MPs of the governing majority that they are responsible for the tension that is being createdbecause of who they vote for. In fact, he asserted that “the ND will suffer annihilation”.
“We saw in the last bill, the opinion of 10% of the population was imposed on the will of the overwhelming majority of the people, we gave children and procreation rights to LGBTI families, they are promoted, I don’t know how you will solve the demographic problem with this, but the only thing that is certain is that you are dividing for another time wears the Greek people. The Ministry of Culture in Thessaloniki showed queer films shouting “destroy Greece”. We paid them to shout at us destroy Greece. If there are incidents among the youth because the common feeling has been hurt, you should have thought about this. When the vast majority are hacked and silenced we will have things like this. Even inside the church, the faithful begin to distribute cufflinks. Concentrate we will see worse with what you are doing», he reported.
Chaos prevailed in the room with ND MPs shouting “shame” and “is it possible, are you listening?”. The reaction of the Minister of the Family, Sofia Zaharakis, was immediate. which, addressing the deputy of Niki, asked him if he condemns the violence, with him sticking to the opinion he expressed.
The dialogue that followed is typical:
SOFIA ZACHARAKI: Do you condemn this?
N. PAPADOPOULOS: Of course we condemn it, we condemn violence, but who causes violence?
MARIA KEFALA: Your executives.
N. PAPADOPOULOS: Isn’t it sick ladies to say there are 5 and 10 sexes? This is crazy stuff. Where did you see them? What science taught you that? You must be a sick brain to think such things. Remember it. The ND will suffer pandemonium with these things, its guises, because it has put on the sheep of the patriot and the Christian and you dare to go to the churches and they mock you and you still go.
Voices are heard
N. PAPADOPOULOS: You went 100% against the Bible.
MARILENA SOUKOULIS (N.D.): Are you listening? Shame! Recall now.
NIKOLAOS PAPADOPOULOS: Don’t touch my hand, my lady.
M.SOUKOULIS: Are you listening? Shame
N. PAPADOPOULOS: Wake up, wake up, the people woke up. The ancient Aristotles, who you talk a lot about the ancients, said that they do not legislate against nature and the orthodox Christians that they do not legislate against the law of God, you did.
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Verbal attacks on Georgiadis and Alexopoulou by priests – What the Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure responds to
Not one, not two, but three have so far been attacks on ND MPs inside holy temples, on the occasion of the passing of the same-sex marriage bill, a month and a half, in fact, before the June 9 European elections.
The beginning took place last Friday, when a priest in Amyntaio Kozani during the liturgy verbally attacked the health ministerAdonis Georgiadis.
“What did you come to do in the church that you voted for this abomination and are now an abomination yourself”said the Archimandrite Sevastianos addressed to the Minister of Health. Mr. Georgiadis kept his cool in the face of the priest’s criticisms of the “shameful”, as he described it, bill, which – according to the priest – was made for the “sake of a few people”.
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The Deputy Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament of Achaia was the next in line in the series of attacks. Christina Alexopoulouwhich she accepted unprovoked verbal attack by a priest during a litany for the memory of the Fatherland’s victims of Turkish brutality. In this case too, the passage of the bill for same-sex couples was the occasion.
Specifically, everything happened when, after the speech of the Metropolitan of Patras, Mr. Chrysostomou, a priest, known in the local community for his extreme views, verbally attacked Ms. Alexopoulou, finding support from a small group of young people who were present. With the cool intervention of those present, the deputy minister was removed from the area.
Speaking to MEGA, Ms. Alexopoulou emphasized that these are individual bad behaviors, which do not represent the Church as a whole.
“It was an event in which I participated, in a litany that ended up in a central square of our city, with a number of priests, a number of high priests, but also a number of believers. None of what was heard was done by these many people. At the end of the event only, when my name was mentioned on the microphone there were a few people who thought it was good to have this strong reaction by shouting and making some gestures“, said Ms. Alexopoulou, describing what happened.
As for the identity of all those who make such disapprovals, he underlined: “I think – I say again – that we attach great importance to this, because if we judge from Patras, but also in general – if you also saw in Kavala – they are specific people, who have shown in the past – apparently they won’t change their minds easily, they will continue in the future – to have this behavior regardless of the issue».
As for whether there is political expediency behind these attacks, he asked: “political expediency why? To win votes with slaps?’
“Can any sane person believe that acts of violence or slapping or verbal abuse will win you votes?”concluded the deputy minister.
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Tags: Attempt reapproach government Church storm samesex marriage symbolism Mitsotakis joint visit
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