CHURCH AND state are once again at loggerheads over who’s more pitiful, just days after the president and archbishop stood side by side at the Nicosia hospital calling for greater optimism from the people.
Speaking to reporters after the service, Chrysostomos noted the absence of the president and his cabinet from the service with some choice words.
“Fortunately, some MPs, the army and police came, mitigating somewhat the shame of the present government. They are for pitying. I don’t want to say more. They get what they deserve,” said the spiritual leader of the Orthodox faithful in Cyprus.
Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou responded the same day highlighting that the government did not receive any invitation this year to attend the doxology conducted by the Archbishop.
“Every time the government receives an invite from the Archbishopric, the government responds positively and had no reason not to do so in this case.
“We regret though that the primate of the Church chose (Tuesday), the first day of the year, to once again attack the government,” said Stefanou, adding that Chrysostomos “unfortunately, does not miss an opportunity to verbally abuse the government. And if a mistake was made on this matter, the archbishop is not allowed to offend the state in this way, and indeed, a secular, bicommunal state that Cyprus is”.
Not one to hold back, President Demetris Christofias yesterday waded in to the spat during an AKEL event in Nicosia to welcome in the New Year, accusing the archbishop of belonging to the group of bankers and businesspeople responsible for the current economic mess Cyprus is in.
“The Primate of the Church cannot be excluded from this group of entrepreneurs and bankers. And I say this fully conscious of what I am saying,” he said.
“This year, an invitation was not sent, like every other year when even a reminder was sent, and it seems to me, my devious mind is led to the conclusion that perhaps not sending the invitation had a purpose.
“In any case, the first day of the year after the doxology is not the time for Church primates to speak in the way that the archbishop has spoken. I am sincerely sorry for that,” added Christofias.
The president highlighted to the church leader: “We do not have a theocratic state.”
He described the primate’s penchant for public interventions on political matters as “doubly unacceptable”.
“Our differences with his Holiness are not philosophical, and I want to make that clear. I fully respect the Church and have very friendly relations with many clerics,” said Christofias, adding that their differences were “clearly political”.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment