Statement by Metropolitan Seraphim on the presence of politicians at the Holy Festival of Myrtidiotissa

The Metropolitan of Kythira and Antikythira, Seraphim, made a statement after the end of the Holy Festival of Panagia Myrtidiotissa. The Metropolitan expressed his opposition to the presence of politicians who supported the bill on same-sex marriage, emphasizing that they were not honored during the Divine Liturgy as a sign of protest. He also criticized the decision of the President of the E.E.P.K.A. to hold an official dinner in honor of the Minister of National Defense without informing him, expressing his disagreement with the use of the Holy Monastery for such an event. He concludes his statement with an appeal to defend the Orthodox faith and avoid scandalizing the faithful. Read the statement:

In Kythira, on September 27, 2024

STATEMENT
METROPOLITAN OF KYTHIRA & ANTIKYTHIRA
SERAPHIM

With the conclusion of the major religious festival of PANAGIA MYRTIDIOTISSA, Protector, Guardian, and Patron Saint of the island of Kythira, we glorify our Holy Trinity God and honor the All-Holy Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ for her greatest blessing, which she bestowed upon our island, protected by the Virgin Mary and guarded by the Holy Spirit, its Christian people and the numerous pilgrims of our Myrtidiotissa, who have come from the ends of the Greek land and the world.

We thank the holy Archbishops, His Eminence the Metropolitan of Samos, of Icaria and Corsica, Mr. Eusebius, and the Most Reverend Bishop of Lacedaemon, Mr. Theophilus, who, with their solemn presence, their archiepiscopal blessings and their inspired and edifying sermons inspired and supported the People of God. We also thank the Holy Clergy, our own and visiting, the attending leaders of our homeland and our island, the E.E.P.K.A. and the Ecclesiastical Committee of Myrtidia, the choir of cantors, the band and the Philharmonic of the Navy, our fellow citizens of Kythira and the multitude of devout pilgrims for their attendance and participation in this sacred festival, the feast of feasts and celebration of celebrations.

In light of the above, I consider it my duty to declare the following for the information of the Holy Clergy and our Christian people.

1. None of the politicians (ministers, members of parliament, etc.) who voted in favor of the anti-Christian, abominable from a spiritual point of view and unconstitutional bill on the abusive so-called «marriage» of homosexuals, we invited as the Local Church (as has been the case every year in the past) and no honor was given to those who attended during the Divine Liturgy, in accordance with my statement made at the time. And this was done not out of contempt for his political office, but so that they might come to a deep awareness and repentance for the very grave «crime» in which they collaborated to the detriment of Greece, with pitiful moral and spiritual consequences and irreparable, humanly speaking, damage to the Greek people, especially to the families and the young people of our homeland. For this reason, in my address and speech to our invited Bishops and the congregation at the time of the Great Vespers, but also during the Holy Litany of the feast day, we denounced this sad action of the majority of the Greek Parliament, which has so greatly saddened and continues to sadden the Christian community of the Orthodox Church, and not only them.
2. The day after the Holy Festival, on which Kythira celebrated the 80th anniversary of its liberation from German occupation, a Doxology was held at the Metropolitan Church of Estavromenos in Chora, Kythira, attended by the Minister of National Defense and other officials. And there, at that moment, no special honor was given to the representative of the Government upon his entrance and during the ceremony of the Doxology in the Holy Temple, for the reasons mentioned above.
3. After the memorial prayer at the port of Kapsali, the speech by the mayor and the response by the minister, I also congratulated him on his thorough speech (my first communication with him).
4. At that moment, I was surprised by the President of the Local Property, who invited me to lunch, which would be held at the Hegumenion of the Holy Monastery of Panagia Myrtidiotissa, completely unaware of my position as Metropolitan. When the President saw my initial reaction, he left my presence. And as I searched for him with my eyes, I could not see him in the crowd. He had obviously gone to the Monastery of Myrtidia to organize the lunch he had planned days earlier, without my knowledge.
5. I contacted my representative, Father, who was in Myrtidia, to inform the President of the E.E.P.K.A. that I disagree with this initiative. The event being celebrated —a historic anniversary—was a national event, and the appropriate venue for a reception in honor of the Minister was the Town Hall of the island. It is inconceivable, on the day of the most important celebration of our island, our PANAGIA MYRTIDIOTISSA, the official lunch for the Archbishops, the other clergy, and our guests to be held at the most luxurious restaurant on the island, and the official lunch for the Minister the following day, will be held at the Hegumenion (!) of the Holy Monastery of Myrtidiotissa, while the above-mentioned sad social issue and ethical-spiritual blunder exists, with the Minister as the main accomplice.
6. The president of the E.E.P.K.A., as soon as he was informed by my representative, the priest, of my disagreement, reacted sharply, saying: «The Metropolitan should do his job. I will arrange things with the Mayor.».

I will not comment on the President's reaction, especially since this is the first time, after more than four years of flawless cooperation, that he has reacted in this way. However, it is not appropriate in a sacred and holy place such as our Myrtidiotissa to hear expressions of contempt for the Bishop, to be completely ignored when such serious issues arise, and to have his opinion rejected by the people, which is reminiscent of Protestant practices.

7. Beyond disregarding the Metropolitan's intervention, an order was given to the Ecclesiastical Commissioner of the Holy Shrine of Myrtidiotissa to ring the bells upon the arrival of the MinisterMinister entered the Holy Monastery, despite my order, given through the Priest, that the bells should not be rung for the reasons mentioned above. The bells ring for joyful and sorrowful events. If they were to ring in this case, the tolling of the bells should be mournful. And this is because of the moral and spiritual collapse of our Greek Orthodox homeland, which, with such anti-Christian anti-Christian and anti-ethnic legislation, is being reduced to the level of the depraved cities of the Old Testament, Sodom and Gomorrah, and even worse. Because here in our homeland, the first Orthodox country, which voted for this monstrosity, whatever was done was done by law, with the «seal of approval»!
8. The president of the E.E.P.K.A. was elected with the support of the current mayor of Kythira and Antikythira and is, as they say, «patronized» by him. Apparently, he has conveyed to him what the Mayor often says, that according to Presidential Decree 5/2017, (the provision of Article 15, which is being reviewed, following the appeal of the Holy Synod and our appeals to the Council of State), the property of the Holy Shrines of Panagia Myrtidiotissa and Agia Moni belongs to the Municipality of Kythira and Antikythira, while the administration and management are carried out by the E.E.P.K.A. However, this, which was irregularly and unconstitutionally determined by the above Presidential Decree, leaves absolutely no room for the respective Mayor of Kythira and Antikythira to intervene in the administration and management of the Holy Pilgrimages. It only stipulates, contrary to the rules, that any surplus from their management may be introduced as income to the Municipality for its municipal works, while 365 churches and chapels in Kythira await donations for their repair and restoration, and
9. It is rumored that the Minister's official dinner took place at the Holy Monastery of Myrtidia for security reasons. And we ask: would it not have been safer to host the Minister and his entourage at the Municipal Office, which is in a central, rather than a remote, location? Such excuses, however, do not hold water. The purpose of this hospitality was to provoke the religious feelings of the opposing Christians, our Holy Clergy, and to «humiliate» the Metropolitan of Kythira and Antikythira.

My statement, which is expected by the Christian community of our Holy Metropolis, but also by those who were surprised and disturbed by this event, is considered necessary to prevent the scandalization of our Christians.

THE METROPOLITAN

†Ὁ Kythira & Antikythira Seraphim