Unbelievably obscurantist statements by a Greek high-ranking clergyman, the Bishop of Dodoni Chrysostomos: “No woman is raped without consent” and “abortion should not be performed even in the case of rape.” The inadmissible statements triggered an outrage not only among the Greek society but also among ministers of the conservative government.
Speaking to Skai TV on Friday morning, the bishop, who was obviously beamed from the Middles Ages directly into the 21st century, was arguing against abortions.
“In times of low birth rates such as the ones we are going through, abortions cannot be tolerated,” he said, adding that “abortion is a crime.”
The clergyman was inviting to the TV panel on the occasion of the initiative of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece to have sermons against abortions be read in churches across the country.
“A woman does not get pregnant from rape,” he said claiming that pregnancy and conception is not possible without consent.
He refused to acknowledge the true meaning of rape as an act of violence that does not have the consent of the woman, saying
“A rape does not take place without consent” and “a woman does not get pregnant from a rape,” he claimed.
“There are always two people involved in [making] love,” the bishop said characteristically.
“When we have such a low birth rate, it is possible to allow the destruction of an infant, a child who, when conceived, has already begun to have life?,” Chrysostomos noted about abortions.
When asked if this should also apply in cases of rape, he responded that “a woman cannot be raped without wanting to, let’s not go crazy now.”
To journalists’ attempts to explain to him what rape means, he noted: “Do you realize that a woman sits and is raped and gets pregnant? It needs participation.”
He insisted that a woman cannot conceive without participation and consent.
Only if the fetus has serious health problems there can be an abortion, however, the Church has to give its permission first, he claimed.
He said further that the child that is the result of a rape must be protected and must be state provision about where the child will go.
Bishop Chrysostomos reiterated the Church’s approach to sexual intercourse, saying that it cannot take place for the sake of it but with the only purpose to create a new life.
“The Church is against contraception,” he underlined.
Angry Greeks and Ministers against the Bishop
The bishops’ claims triggered an outrage not only on social media and the most prominent of react with anger were the ministers of Tourism and Education & Religious Affairs. of conservative ruling New Democracy..
Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias posted on Twitter: “The statement of the Bishop of Dodoni about women who are victims of raper is a shame for all of us and slanderous for the Orthodox Christian faith and our Church which always cares for the victims of violence.”
Είναι ντροπή για όλους μας και συκοφαντική για την Ορθόδοξη Χριστιανική πίστη και την Εκκλησία μας που πάντα στέργει τα θύματα βίας, η δήλωση του Μητροπολίτη Δωδώνης για τις γυναίκες που πέφτουν θύματα βιασμού.
— Vassilis Kikilias (@Vkikilias) September 2, 2022
Education Minister Niki Kerameos, who is also a pious woman, wrote: “The statement of the Bishop of Dodoni regarding the rape is unthinkable and reprehensible. It brutally offends society and is inconsistent with the attitude of the Church which actually supports women victims of abuse and rape.”
Αδιανόητη και καταδικαστέα η δήλωση του Μητροπολίτη Δωδώνης σχετικά με τον βιασμό. Προσβάλλει βάναυσα την κοινωνία και δεν συνάδει με τη στάση της Εκκλησίας που εμπράκτως στηρίζει γυναίκες θύματα κακοποίησης και βιασμού.
— Niki Kerameus (@nkerameus) September 2, 2022
On Twitter, Greeks lashed out at the Bishop and “bathed” him with adjectives like “rotten”, “psycho”, “bearded weirdo”, “Christian-Taliban”, a “misanthrope” and any possible insults they could think of.
“Meanwhile in Iran of the Balkas”
Εν τω μεταξύ στο Βαλκανικό Ιράν pic.twitter.com/8BPN3cJIWM
— Ιερώνυμος boss (@JeronymoBoss2) September 2, 2022
https://t.co/OlRPlJRfri Bishop or Taliban Greece is a bit theocracy when clergy's opinion about rapes #femicide #AbortionRights is necessary or matters Church's opinion about sex violence is that women who don't want they don't get raped @amnesty @IBeugel
— Sofia Tzani (@sofia_tzani) September 2, 2022
Some recalled the past of Chrystostomos, a former Bishop of Zakynthos who resigned in August 2011 at the age of 72 on the grounds that “one has to be healthy to perform his duties,” s he had said. Two months later the Holy Synod gave him the title “Bishop of Dodoni.”
“The former of Zakynthos started as an enlightened hierarch. How did he end up with the absurd “no one is raped against her will”?? Let someone tell him that if someone wants it it is not called rape. Coercion using verbal or physical violence is rape and yes it can result in pregnancy.”
Ο πρώην Ζακύνθου ξεκίνησε ως φωτισμένος ιεράρχης.Πώς κατέληξε με το παράλογο "καμία δεν βιάζεται παρά τη θέληση της"??Ας του πει κάποιος ότι αν το θέλει δεν λεγεται βιασμός.Η επιβολή με χρήση βίας λεκτικής ή σωματικής είναι βιασμός και ναι μπορεί να κατάληξη σε κύηση.Αμαν πια
— dimitra fotiadou (@dimitrafotiadou) September 2, 2022
Many used also τραγόπαπας, a very offensive word for a priest with no morals who is not committed to the religious vows he has taken.
Many among the angry crowd also wished him to “kick the bucket” and “drop dead.”
Some said that he should be immediately stopped being paid with taxpayers’ money.
Νewswebsites of mainstream media reported about the Bishops’ interview with titles such as “unacceptable” or “nauseous” or “creepy” statements.
According to state broadcaster ERT, Archbishop Ieronymos has been briefed about the incredible statements of the Bishop and a reaction is expected during the day.
UPDATE
In a statement issued early Friday afternoon, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece described the Bishop’s statement as “unacceptable and insulting to victims of rape.”
Stressing that he represented himself and not the Church, the statement added among others that such statements “tarnished and are grossly unfair to the essential initiatives and silent work of the Church that stands daily stands by abused women through actions to support them and hostels to host them.”
Why don’t these people stay in their fairly tale world, and stop giving their opinions on what is and what isn’t, in the real world
Why don’t they get a real job and be of some value to their country and society in general.
The Greek state and the Greek Orthodox church are, unfortunately, intertwined; there is no separation between the two, as there should be. There will always be crackpots in both politics and the church, of course, but at least with separation the two entities will be independently cracked.