A local high-ranking clergyman in northern Greece created a during the blessing ceremony at the new school year, when the director urged students keep their face masks on while kissing the Holy Cross.
Archimandrite of Amyntaio Sevastianos slammed the director of the Lyceum saying “should I hold the holy cross of Jesus Christ and wear a mask? “Will the cross infect people? Shame on you!”. He told her to “stop talking” when even the local dignitaries like the mayor and the deputy locla governor had removed their masks to kiss the Cross.
''Οι άρχοντες του τόπου έδωσαν το παράδειγμα και κατέβασαν τη μάσκα
και μιλάτε;
Ντροπή σας, κλείστε το ρημάδι όταν μιλάω.''
ΙΡΑΝ 2021 pic.twitter.com/HOAWB6meeI— Ιερώνυμος boss (@JeronymoBoss2) September 13, 2021
Sevastianos was also furious that he was asked to enter the classes and bless them thus wearing a mask.
Mayor of Amyntaio told Skai TV on Tuesday that “it is a matter of respect and not of health.”
The incident divided Greeks on social media with one part sharply criticizing the clergyman for defying health protocols against the pandemic and the other part congratulating him for doing exactly that.
Some posted that sevastianos is known in the area to be against the use of masks in churches.
PS He is apparently one of the priests in the country who keeps refusing to comply with health protection measures putting religion over science and claiming that faith alone can beat any illness and pandemic. *sigh*
Bravo to the School Director for showing some common sense and being health conscious towards his students!! The clergy need to catch up with on going times and show respect for their fellow man!!!
Yes !
This priest should be arrested for endangering the health of people.
And the mayor and the deputy local governor should be removed from their posts.
It is already bad that those idiots want to endanger themselves but they also endanger the children.
Remember boys and girls, Darwin beats religious dogma. Every single time.
Totally agree. I can’t believe these people are paid by the state and therefore our taxes.
I had no idea that priests went to schools to open the school year or that kids had to kiss the cross. What the hell does education have to do with religion? If anything, they are opposed.
“I had no idea that priests went to schools to open the school year…”
First week of the school year: Day 1 – go to school and receive the blessing then go home, Day 2 – go to school to receive your timetable then go home, Day 3 – go to school and receive your books then go home. It’s a hard life. End of school year – tear up all the text books and scatter them in the street. Wonderful thing tradition.
If you do anything new in Greece it starts with the priest. For example, if you start a new business it opens with a ceremony conducted at the business by a priest, probably followed by a party.
If you want an example of exactly how Christian some of these priests are I know of one family who took over an empty shop and converted it to a small taverna. At the opening ceremony everyone was coming forward to be blessed by the priest. The family had a son and daughter who were deaf and dumb. When they came forward the priest pushed them away and refused to bless them because “they carried the mark of the devil”.
Of course, using violence is never allowed or justified, especially not in front of children.
But I don’t agree with the comments above about endangering other people’s health. What is the most infectious you think: getting the breath of a (probably) healthy child in your face, or getting the blow of a mask, that was probably touched a dozen times by that kid, after it touched several other things with its same hands?
kissing an object kissed by an infected person
i agree why do people not see that faith does not cure everything priests should respect what health authorities say
The most senior bishop of the Serbian orthodox church in Montenegro died of Covid in October 2020. At his funeral, many were not wearing masks and people were kissing the icon. Many got sick including the patriarch of the Serbian orthodox church who attended. He also died of Covid 3 weeks later.
As I said, Darwin always wins over religious dogma. Hocus Pocus will not protect you against Covid. Mask and vaccinations will.
I always thought it was was disgusting and unhealthy for everyone to be kissing crosses,icons and sharing same spoon taking holy communion! Yucks 😝
Religion should play absolutely NO part in education! It is simple brainwashing. Children should not be kissing any religious object …….that is how most of the catholic churches problems with pedophilia started! I had not realised the priests are paid by the state ……….that is obscene! So called secular state? …….not! Dejan is right …darwin wins over god any day and in every way. Believe in the universe it is beautiful and it exists ……you can even see it! .
It is amazing that adherence to a religion seems to lower the IQ. Why are the lunatics in charge of the asylum?
The mayor and governor removed their masks,,, were they afraid of the stupid man wearing silly cloths or just didn’t care about potentially spreading the virus or just soft in the head,,umm. I like Greece but I wouldn’t have anything to do with these stupid people from the church or recognise that they have any authority or influence on me. I think more and more people are thinking the same way.
I really do not understand why you all here get so upset about that malaka priest, because the way he acted and talked is the best way for his followers to wake up from their ignorant admiration of a medieavel religion that keeps going on to supress the flocks it pretends to protect. And if the dumb mayor and deputy governor want to expose themselves to the virus by obediently doing what the priest is telling them due to the fact that they any backbone, then so be it: they will get what they deserve! Simple as that….