Greek Orthodox church on defensive after acid attack on bishops

Helena Smith in Athens
·2 min read

The Greek Orthodox church has been put on the defensive after a priest was accused of an acid attack that injured 10 people, including seven senior bishops.

Three bishops remained in hospital on Thursday, with one reportedly undergoing plastic surgery, while the suspect was due to appear before a public prosecutor. Two lawyers and a police officer were also injured in Wednesday’s attack. Most had burns on their face and hands.

There was embarrassment over how the incident could have occurred inside the building in central Athens where the church’s governing body meets. “In future there should be a policeman, someone who guards the entrance to the Holy Synod,” said the bishop of Glyfada, Antonios, who was among the injured.

The suspect, identified as a 37-year-old hieromon, or teaching monk, had been attending a disciplinary hearing called to formalise his removal from the church. “He was defrocked in 2019,” Antonios told the state-run broadcaster ERT, saying the session was conducted to rubber stamp the decision.

In June 2018 the cleric appeared in court accused of drugs possession after 1.8 grams of cocaine was found hidden under his cassock “in the area of his genitals”, the Greek daily Ta Nea reported. He allegedly said the class A drug was for personal use.

A community leader in the village of Ayia Varvara, where the cleric previously lived, said the cleric had frequently borrowed money from residents that he never repaid. “When he left the village and we cleaned the house, syringes and substances were found,” Spyros Kotsiadis told Skai TV.

Speaking to Acou 996, a local radio station, the bishop of Veria, Panteleimon, described the cleric as having longstanding disciplinary problems, and said he had heard he had no remorse over the attack.

Asked why the priest had been defrocked, the bishop alleged he had faced multiple charges including drug use. “There was a list with everything on it … including criminal [acts].”

He said the attack had made clear the need to improve security at the premises where the church’s governing body of bishops meet in session. “When we have such court meetings we do alert the police … but that is the issue. Measures have to be taken to ensure that not just anyone can walk into the Holy Synod if they don’t go through a [security] machine. They could, after all, be carrying a weapon.”

Greece’s spiritual leader, Ieronymos II, the archbishop of Athens, rushed to the hospital along with the health minister, Vassilis Kikilias. President Katerina Sakellaropoulou condemned the attack.

Greek police said the priest would undergo a psychological assessment and had been transferred to a psychiatric hospital in Athens where he was being detained under police guard. Once the assessment is made, and if he is deemed fit, he will testify before a prosecutor who is expected to formally announce charges.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Croatia's Baby Lasagna wins crowd over at Eurovision semi-final

    The bookies favourite to win the song contest had everyone singing along to catchy tune Rim Tim Tagi Dim.

  • UPDATE 1-Biden administration to miss deadline for report on Israeli weapons use, sources say

    The Biden administration will miss a Wednesday deadline to report to Congress on whether Israel is violating international humanitarian law in Gaza, four sources said on Tuesday, findings that could fuel concerns over its use of U.S.-supplied weapons against the Palestinian enclave. A National Security Memorandum, known as NSM-20, that Biden issued in February requires the State Department to report to Congress by May 8 on whether it finds credible Israel's assurances that its use of U.S. weapons does not violate U.S. or international law.

  • Ex-City Hall Tories say 'negative campaign' was partly to blame for Sadiq Khan's victory

    One former Tory assembly member said the party could face “a nationwide extinction level event” if it does not learn lessons from the mayoral race

  • Eurovision organisers’ ‘regret’ after opening act wears pro-Palestinian symbol

    The European Broadcasting Union has previously warned about carrying political symbols.

  • iPad Pro 2024 vs. 2022: What’s changed

    Apple updated its top-of-the-line tablets at its Let Loose event today. Our comparison lets you quickly glance at all the changes to the new model — big and small — to help you decide whether it’s worth the upgrade.

  • Student Records Moment Tornado Hits Oklahoma Hampton Inn

    A University of Kentucky student staying with his family at a Hampton Inn in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, captured the moment a powerful tornado hit the building on Monday, May 6.Footage filmed by Murilo Damin Cechetti shows the moment the power went out at the hotel and he and his family ran for a shelter area. After the tornado passed, Cechetti filmed scenes of destruction at the hotel, where large debris blocked a hallway and twisted metal littered the ground outside the building.“We were expecting the tornado two [hours] before the happening. We got the alert in our phones and soon the sirens went off in the entire hotel. So we all went downstairs toward the shelter area on the first floor. It was really windy and people were running all over. All of a sudden, both the side door and the front door exploded with the wind. We moved to the shelter on the first floor and then just heard the stomping and the wind noise,” Cechetti told Storyful.The tornado, which the National Weather Service said was produced by a supercell, severely damaged structures and flung debris across the town.Local news reports said at least one person was killed during the tornado on Monday night. Credit: Murilo Damin Cechetti via Storyful

  • UPDATE 1-Arcadium Lithium profit falls on weak prices

    Arcadium Lithium, formed earlier this year with the merger of U.S. lithium miner Livent and Australia's Allkem, on Tuesday posted lower first-quarter profit, hit by a decline in prices. Global supplies for lithium outpaced demand over 2023 fuelling a glut that has dragged prices, hurting producers such as Arcadium. However, lithium producers have stayed bullish on long-term demand for the battery material.

  • Jamie Foxx Marks His Late Grandmother Estelle's Birthday: She 'Blessed Me with Everything That I Have'

    Jamie Foxx's grandmother Estelle Talley took him in when he was 7 months old

  • Biden welcomes peaceful protests at college commencements, White House says

    U.S. President Joe Biden welcomes peaceful protests at college commencement ceremonies where he and other administration officials will speak, the White House said on Tuesday as pro-Palestinian protests spread around the country. Columbia University on Monday canceled its main graduation ceremony after weeks of unrest roiled the Ivy League college's campus, but it will still hold smaller, school-based events. The protests at Columbia have inspired similar demonstrations at dozens of universities around the country.

  • Disney streaming margins could catch up to Netflix: Analyst

    Disney's (DIS) second quarter earnings saw its direct-to-consumer streaming services Disney+ and Hulu turn a profit for the first time. S&P Global Ratings US Media and Telecom Senior Director Naveen Sarma joins Market Domination to discuss the entertainment giant's path to streaming profitability. Sarma believes that Disney will be able to catch up to Netflix's 20 to 25% margins, boiling it down to a "matter of scale" in which the company already has a lead. The analyst also tells Alexandra Canal and Josh Lipton that Disney's streaming strategy works in its favor. "By itself, Disney+ is a great product. You layer in Hulu, you add the ability to go get additional customers with R-rated programming, with general entertainment, and then you layer in sports," he explains, adding that the company's bundling strategy is a "great way to attract and retain customers, and also to be able to raise price." Despite Disney's softer guidance for the company's parks and cruise segments, Sarma is not particularly worried, explaining that these are cyclical businesses that respond to overall consumer trends. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • Man fled traffic stop, killed 6-year-old in crash, police say. He’s jailed in Broward

    During the crash, the 6-year-old girl, who was in a car seat, was “ejected” from the SUV, according to police.

  • Bankrupt Steward Health puts its hospitals up for sale, discloses $9 billion in debt

    Bankrupt Steward Health Care has put all of its 31 U.S. hospitals up for sale, hoping to finalize transactions by the end of the summer to address its $9 billion in total liabilities, its attorneys said at a Tuesday court hearing in Houston. Steward, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, hopes to keep all of its hospitals open over the long term, Steward attorney Ray Schrock told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Chris Lopez, who is overseeing the Chapter 11 proceedings. "Our goal remains that there are zero hospitals closed on our watch," Schrock said.

  • Disney Stock Retreats Despite Earnings Beat, Improved Streaming Financials

    Disney stock retreated early Tuesday after reporting 30% earnings growth. Disney has led the Dow so far this year.

  • Nvidia Targets 'Perfect' Breakout — And 473% Growth

    Featuring Nvidia, Cava, Chipotle and more, this stock screener highlights top-rated stocks to buy and watch right now.

  • Trampoline Hangs From Power Line After Tornado Hits Bartlesville

    Storm debris was scattered across parts of Bartlesville in northern Oklahoma on Tuesday, May 7, after a destructive tornado barreled through the area overnight.Footage filmed by David Conrad Tarr shows a trampoline hang from a power line and broken trees around Bartlesville on Tuesday morning.Local news outlets reported at least one person was killed during the tornado on Monday night.By Tuesday afternoon, damage assessment was ongoing in the region, the National Weather Service said. Credit: David Conrad Tarr via Storyful

  • Confluent: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

    MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Confluent Inc. (CFLT) on Tuesday reported a loss of $93 million in its first quarter. On a per-share basis, the Mountain View, California-based company said it had a loss of 30 cents. The results exceeded Wall Street expectations.

  • Marjorie Taylor Greene backs off threat to oust Johnson as speaker

    Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared on Tuesday to be backing off her threat to force a vote to oust Speaker Mike Johnson this week, though she signaled that she'll preserve her threat indefinitely -- keeping Johnson on a tight leash as he navigates a one-vote majority in the chamber. The development comes after Greene and Johnson met on Tuesday afternoon -- their second meeting in as many days. The meetings came after Greene said she would force a vote to remove Johnson from the leadership post this week.

  • Pamela Anderson runs through New York City park in gown after Met Gala

    ‘From one garden to the next,’ actor writes on Instagram

  • UPDATE 1-Rivian sticks to annual production forecast, posts wider quarterly loss

    Electric-vehicle maker Rivian on Tuesday reiterated its 2024 production forecast, keeping it well below analysts' expectations, as it focuses on restarting production after a shutdown last month to upgrade its assembly line and reduce costs. The company also cut its annual capital expenditure forecast by $550 million to $1.2 billion, as it moved the start of production of its R2 midsize SUV to its Normal, Illinois plant. Analysts were expecting capital spending of $1.59 billion.

  • Group kidnapped, tortured and killed man over drugs in 2006, feds say. Five now charged

    The Pennsylvania man was taken to a warehouse where he was interrogated and tortured, officials said.