Greek official provokes scandal in country by insulting Holy Theotokos

Elias Mossialos. Photo: facebook.com/DynamikiEllada

Greece's representative to WHO, Professor Elias Mossialos, provoked a scandal in the country by publishing a post insulting the Virgin Mary.

Elias Mossialos posted a picture on his Facebook, showing the Virgin Mary wearing a mask and comparing faith in the coronavirus to faith in the Immaculate Conception of Christ.

The post caused a storm of outrage in Greece. The Holy Synod issued a statement calling Mossialos's act "racist" and noted that "fanatism and lack of respect for the other is not an exclusive characteristic of 'religions' but a characteristic of many people, conservative and progressive".

Archimandrite Agathangelos Giannarakis believes the official "nullifies and offends the religious sentiment of Christians" and "levels our faith under the pretext of freedom of speech".

"But above all he insults and humiliates himself, projecting his atheism as freedom of speech and expression not with arguments but with offensive sketches,” the priest wrote and reminded Mossialos “what happened in France with the post by Charlie Hebdo.”

Ieronymos of Kalavryta said he felt "a sacred indignation" because, in his view, the authorities in the person of Mossialos "once again took off their mask and showed their true face". "They are fighting Christ and our Lady. Shame," the metropolitan said.

As previously reported, the Greek Church urged people to sign up for the temple by phone.

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