2024-04-08 12:46:22
It is not the first time that the Metropolis of Tamasos has caused an “earthquake” in the Cypriot Church
The Church of Cyprus with the “Rasputin” abbot and monks of the Monastery of St. Avvakum in Fterikoudi, Nicosia is seen. The fern is the plant that grows in abundance in the small community, but it is not the only one… There thrive sexual orgies, false prophets with tearful images, a cross dripping with myrrh from the hands of the burly monk Habakkuk, and a full safe that “scoots” on camera night in the enclosure under the orders of the weak abbot of the monastery, Nektarios. Until then, for the abbot, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Tamasos Isaias – a graduate of the Theological School of Thessaloniki – was his “guardian angel”…
The Cypriot Church is in a “demonized” vortex and it is not the first time, especially regarding this particular metropolis. Six years have passed since the death of 29-year-old Elena Frantzis, who was abused by her stepfather, who was a priest. Elena’s dramatic story began when her parents were deemed unfit to exercise their parental duties, so her care was taken over at a very young age by the Welfare Office, which saw to it that the little girl was given to foster families. In the end, the competent state agencies gave the girl to a priest who served in a village in the province of Nicosia and his wife.
The girl was sexually abused by the priest, while physical violence was also allegedly practiced against him by his stepmother. At the age of 10, Elena reported the incident to the Welfare Office, however it seems that due importance was not given to her complaints. A few years later, the young lady again denounced the priest, as a result of which the case was brought before the court. The court in its decision sentenced the priest to two years in prison, while her stepmother was not charged. During that time, Elena was being followed by a psychologist, while she was studying to be a social worker. The priest eventually appealed, with the Supreme Court, however, upholding the first-instance decision, upholding the maximum prison sentence of two years.
He was, however, released from prison in 2015, when he returned to his duties as a priest in a women’s monastery, while he also received a house next to a kindergarten and primary school from the current metropolitan of Tamasos and Orinis. For the last few years, Elena lived on a benefit she received from the state, but in 2018 she died suddenly in the apartment where she lived. Only then and under the weight of the outcry did the Holy Synod finally depose him, a month after her death. The proposal for his removal was forced to be made by the hierarch who supported him but also welcomed him after his release, Metropolitan Tamasou Isaias.
The conviction of the priest who raped his niece
There are, however, other incidents that haunt the Archdiocese of Megalonis. On June 3, 2023, the Holy Synod places the former Metropolitan of Kiti Chrysostomos on holiday. Three weeks earlier, the judicial authorities found him guilty of indecent assault on a woman in 1981, when the 58-year-old complainant was 16 years old.
- By Vassilis Chitos
As the woman testified before the court, she had visited the priest five times in his office, in order to receive a benefit as an orphan, due to the death of her father. According to her, the fifth time the priest locked her in his office and… threw himself at her. In fact, he revealed that since then he had been tortured, as he said, because he did not denounce the then metropolitan, and finally decided to do so when another complaint against him came to light.
Ten years imprisonment
In May 2013 in Nicosia, a priest was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the rape of his 26-year-old niece. According to what was heard during the decision of the Criminal Court, the 26-year-old went to take a shower in order to go to work. Coming out of the bathroom, she found the priest waiting for her in the living room. She went into the room, where he followed her. He began to talk to her about women and sexual relations. Before she could react, he grabbed her arms and threw her onto the bed.
The girl tried to push him away, but he continued without listening to her and eventually raped her. He was transferred to the Central Prisons, where he continued to wear his uniform. The Holy Synod once again showed low reflexes, since it deposed him six months later. In fact, members of the Church went to the Central Prisons, where they informed him that he is no longer on the list of priests.
{{-PCOUNT-}}12{{-PCOUNT-}}