Church ‘scandalised’ by actions of ‘drugs priest’

 

THE PRIEST who was remanded on Thursday in connection of allegedly smuggling three kilos of cannabis in the country was already under investigation by the Church, an announcement by the Archbishopric said yesterday.

The Greek priest, 37, was caught with three kilos of cannabis in his bags on Wednesday night at Larnaca Airport. 

The Archbishopric said in its announcement that it was “deeply saddened” that the flock was scandalised “by his abhorrent actions”.

According to the announcement, several allegations had previously been made against the priest “over various misdemeanours” but they could not be substantiated.

However, “new evidence” had arisen before the priest’s arrest so the Archbishopric had already suspended him pending an internal investigation unrelated to the arrest, the announcement said.

The priest came to Cyprus ten years ago and was admitted to the Church of Cyprus.  “The wrongdoing of priests is indeed a sore point for the [Church] body, causing sadness and upset, but as the Body of Christ [the church] always heals,” an announcement said.

Because the priest is based in Nicosia, the person in charge of the church’s investigation is Archbishop Chrysostomos II.

The priest has said he would fully cooperate with Cyprus’ authorities who are looking for the supplier, in collaboration with the police in Greece and Interpol.

 

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.