An elderly Orthodox priest yelled “Pope you’re a heretic” several times as Pope Francis arrived for a meeting in Athens with the leader of Greece’s Orthodox Church on Saturday. “The pope is unacceptable in Greece! He should repent!” the priest told reporters after being removed from the scene. According to The Associated Press, Francis “appeared Read more
Pope Francis is praying for constructive dialogue and respect for international law amidst rising tensions between Greece and Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean. During his Angelus address on Sunday Francis said he “follows with concern the tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.” Avoiding mentioning the nations involved, he prayed for the “instability” in the area. “I Read more
Concerned Greek authorities were at the ready to monitor Orthodox worshippers on Sunday as the faithful celebrated Easter. Ensuring worshippers complied with the country’s bans on movement amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic were of concern to the authorities. Law enforcers monitored churches. In addition, streets were patrolled and drones deployed. Nikos Hardalias, Greece’s civil protection Read more
Greece’s conservative government says it’s scrapping plans to criminalize blasphemy. Justice Minister Costas Tsiaras said Tuesday that the proposal has been removed from draft legislation that’s being debated in Parliament. It would have made blasphemy punishable by up to two years in prison. The proposal had been widely criticized. Continue reading
Migrants are paying a heavy price in Europe because of an agreement made a year ago between the European Union (EU) and Turkey, says Caritas The agreement aimed to stem the flow of migrants and refugees seeking protection in Europe. Caritas says the agreement has left thousands of vulnerable people stranded in degrading conditions in Read more
Pope Francis has rescued 12 Syrian refugees from the Greek Island of Lesbos, which he visited to highlight the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Three refugee families, including six children, boarded the Pope’s plane for Rome at the end of his short visit on April 16. A Vatican spokesman said: “The Pope has desired to make a gesture Read more
Pope Francis has acknowledged that he has neglected the middle class and its problems. On a plane on his return to Europe from a three-nation South American visit, Pope Francis was asked by a reporter why he had hardly ever spoken about the problems of the “working, tax-paying” middle class. Francis offered a rare papal Read more
There is something eerily symmetrical about the decision by the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, to call a referendum about what he has described as the ‘extortionate ultimatum’ of ‘strict and humiliating austerity without end’ coming from the International Monetary Fund, European Commission and the European Central Bank – the troika. The country that is Read more
They come seeking refuge, but when asylum seekers cross into the European Union, they often find little compassion. In Greece, they are held in squalid detention camps, while in Italy they often end up on the street. Here is what they face at entry points across the EU. They know they are putting their lives Read more
When I was a sweet and protected young thing in 1960s Australia, beggars were the stuff of legend. As I walked sedately to my lectures, an old chap would stop me every now and then and ask me for a bob. That was my sole experience, and my father was disgusted. You know what that’s all Read more