ARCHBISHOP Chrysostomos came under sustained attack yesterday after describing daily Politis as a “Turkish newspaper”.
Chrysostomos made the remark over the weekend after the paper suggested he was meddling in the 2008 presidential campaign by rooting for the incumbent Tassos Papadopoulos.
But his blunt comment sparked almost universal condemnation from the political and journalistic community, which saw the head of the Church as going too far this time.
Politis has accused Chrysostomos of trying to influence Mega TV channel, in which the Church has a sizeable stake, into taking a pro-Papadopoulos bias during the election campaign.
Chrysostomos himself has not denied this allegation.
But hitting back at the paper, the archbishop said on Sunday:
“I expected no better from what is a Greek-language Turkish newspaper. It does not surprise nor puzzle me. Let the paper do its job and us do ours, since we are here to serve this country… we won’t let Politis tell us what to do…”
The response from the paper was swift and equally vicious, with the chief editor likening Chrysostomos to the Taleban.
“The Archbishop demonstrated his perception of democracy in the manner he handled the recent Church elections,” read a statement released by Politis, referring to the fact that Chrysostomos had come a distant third in the popular vote to become Archbishop, winning through in later rounds by playing off his two more popular rivals.
“Instead of presenting himself as an Orthodox moderate leader, the Archbishop comes across as a Taleban in the realm of politics and the economy.”
Even AKEL, who are not on the best of terms with Politis, came to the paper’s defense.
The communist party has for some time been unhappy with what they see as Chrysostomos’ unhealthy interest in politics.
AKEL’s Nikos Katsourides said remarks such as those made by the Archbishop harked back to the days after the 1974 disaster, when Greek Cypriots were labelled as either traitors or patriots.
“This phenomenon is typified by expressions such as ‘Turkish’ or ‘Turkish-speaking’ in describing anyone who does not toe the official line. We are doubly saddened that such statements are made by the Prelate,” said Katsourides.
DISY spokesman Tasos Mitsopoulos agreed that the Archbishop had crossed the line, and warned that his party would not stand for any attempts at gagging the press.
“At times when the country needs a sober climate, such comments trigger a climate of fanaticism and confrontation…”
Socialists EDEK took a middle-of-the-road stance, noting that both the paper and the Archbishop had taken things too far in their ongoing dispute.
Only ruling DIKO refrained from criticising Chrysostomos. The party’s general secretary Kyriacos Kenevezos called the Archbishop’s comments “intense”, but added that Chrysostomos was responding to “similarly intense and unfounded reports rife with conspiracy theories.”
The Journalists’ Union also got into the fray, urging the outspoken Chrysostomos to retract.
“We hope the Archbishop realises his error and will not hesitate to make amends,” read a statement released by the union.
And as far as Politis’ chief editor was concerned, the union said he had every right to respond to “the unacceptable epithet used by the Archbishop… and defend the paper and its staff, but at the same time he should not have resorted to such a heavy characterisation of His Holiness.”
Yet the man in the eye of the storm yesterday seemed unruffled.
Speaking to CyBC radio in his usual serene voice, Chrysostomos insisted he had the right to express his views on politics.
“I do not reject any of the [presidential] candidates. But the Church does have an opinion and will speak its mind openly and without fear,” he said.
“I have no ties to the Presidential Palace, except insomuch as national issues are concerned. I’ve no interest whatsoever in the election campaign. But where the national issue is concerned, the Church has always had an opinion, and no one can deny us our say.
“Politicians should go about their own business. We don’t care about politics – let them do whatever they want,” added Chrysostomos.
