Emergency meeting over alleged misconduct at monastery
The Holy Synod convened an emergency meeting on Friday following revelations that two monks were allegedly found in possession of thousands of euros and footage emerged of them engaging in sexual activity.
On Thursday, it emerged the synod would address the allegations surrounding the Osiou Avvakoum monastery in Fterikoudi village, where two monks were allegedly found with €800,000 in their possession along with footage of them engaging in sexual activity.
Although no report has been filed with the police, sources indicated on Thursday that the Synod may request their involvement, along with that of the attorney-general.
The synod began its meeting at 10am, and the allegations were brought before the synod by Tamassos Bishop Isaias, who oversees the monastery as it is part of his metropolis.
Isaias also ordered the monastery to be shut down in light of the allegations.
The two monks were summoned to attend the session, where initial sources had indicated that they could face defrocking.
According to reports coming out of the synod, a few weeks ago – when the scandal broke in church circles – the monks were questioned by Isaias, who paid a surprise visit to the monastery.
The bishop is said to have interrogated the monks for almost 14 hours, after which the monks signed a statement accepting all the allegations.
The monks were found with hundreds of thousands of euros and jewellery in a safe in the monastery, suspected to be contributions from believers. Additionally, there are allegations of ethical misconduct, which appear to have been recorded by the monastery’s closed-circuit cameras.
Speaking at the synod session, which took a lunch break, archbishopric spokesman Christakis Efstathiou said that equipment had been set up for Synod members to view some of the evidence captured on camera.
Meanwhile, the evidence brought against the monks has been categorically denied by the two monks’ lawyers, Adrianna Klaedes and Nikolaos Koulouris.
“The evidence presented to the metropolitan of Tamasos and Orini is fabricated and the product of criminal conduct (illegal recording, processing and use of audiovisual material),” the lawyers said in a statement.