Categories: Greek NEWS

Archbishop Makarios of Australia has court victory in defamation case against “Orthodoxos Typos”

Published by
Kosta Papadopoulos

Archbishop Makarios of Australia has won a court victory against media outlet “Orthodoxos Typos” after the Tripartite Court of Appeal of Athens found the publication guilty of defamation, reports the Orthodox News Agency, marking the end of a vicious four year cycle with saw indecent and inappropriate defamatory attacks made against His Eminence.

According to the news report, in their final sentencing the Tripartite Court of Appeal of Athens, has ordered the  “Panhellenic Orthodox Union” Association and the Editorial Director of the “Orthodoxos Typos” newspaper and their corresponding website, to:

a) pay monetary compensation to the plaintiff and compensation for court costs,

b) delete – withdraw the disputed content from the website of the “Orthodoxos Typos” newspaper, and

c) publish a summary of the court judgment in their newspaper, both printed and electronic formats, in the same section where the first defamatory accusations had been published.

Statement by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios in response to the court decision:

“The humanly reasonable relief that may be brought about by the fact that the Court has denounced and condemned the despicable content of the publications of the “Orthodoxos Typos”, does not prevent feelings of bitterness and concern  from overwhelming me as I reflect on the spiritual decline in which this particular newspaper has descended to, even attempting to drag along devout Christians with them, through lies, distortions of facts and anti-ecclesiastical, sacrilegious narratives.

I fear that the people in charge of the newspaper, blinded by obsession, hatred and fanaticism, fail to understand the damage they are causing to the Church of Christ, for which they claim to be fighting for. In practice, however, they criticise Patriarchs, Bishops, clergy and monks, without having such a right and such authority, even considering that they perform a task pleasing to God.

I will not cease to pray for their enlightenment from above, so that they may, as soon as possible, return to the direction of truth and engage in spiritual struggle for their own salvation, as well as for the salvation of the people whom they have led astray with their dishonourable and profane publications. May God forgive them, bless them and enlighten them.”

Warm thanks for the legal support of the case are due to lawyer Mr. Lambros Kitsaras, Professor of the Law School of the University of Athens, and to his colleague Ms. Ifigenia Papachristou.

Δήλωση Αρχιεπισκόπου Αυστραλίας

«Η εύλογη κατ’ άνθρωπον ανακούφιση που μπορεί να προκαλεί το γεγονός ότι η Δικαιοσύνη αποδοκίμασε και καταδίκασε το κατάπτυστο περιεχόμενο των δημοσιευμάτων του “Ορθόδοξου Τύπου”, δεν είναι ικανή να αναχαιτίσει τα συναισθήματα πικρίας και ανησυχίας που με κυριεύουν καθώς αναλογίζομαι τον πνευματικό κατήφορο στον οποίο έχει κατρακυλήσει η συγκεκριμένη εφημερίδα, επιχειρώντας μάλιστα να συμπαρασύρει και ευσεβείς χριστιανούς, μέσα από ψεύδη, διαστρεβλώσεις γεγονότων και αντιεκκλησιαστικά, ανίερα αφηγήματα. Φοβάμαι ότι οι υπεύθυνοι της εφημερίδος, τυφλωμένοι από εμμονή, μίσος και φανατισμό, αδυνατούν να κατανοήσουν τη ζημία που προκαλούν στην Εκκλησία του Χριστού, υπέρ της οποίας κόπτονται ότι αγωνίζονται. Στην πράξη όμως κατακρίνουν Πατριάρχες, Επισκόπους κληρικούς και μοναχούς, δίχως να έχουν τέτοιο δικαίωμα και τέτοια εξουσία, θεωρώντας μάλιστα ότι επιτελούν έργο θεάρεστο. Δεν θα πάψω να προσεύχομαι για τον άνωθεν φωτισμό τους, ώστε το συντομότερο δυνατόν να επιστρέψουν στην κατεύθυνση της αληθείας και να αναλώνονται σε πνευματικό αγώνα για τη σωτηρία τους, καθώς και για τη σωτηρία των ανθρώπων που έχουν παρασύρει με τα κατάπτυστα και ανίερα δημοσιεύματά τους. Ο Θεός να τους συγχωρεί, να τους ευλογεί και να τους φωτίζει».

“Θερμές ευχαριστίες για τη νομική υποστήριξη της υποθέσεως οφείλονται στον δικηγόρο, Καθηγητή της Νομικής Σχολής του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών, κ. Λάμπρο Κιτσαρά, και στη συνεργάτιδά του, δικηγόρο κ. Ιφιγένεια Παπαχρήστου”, καταλήγει η ανακοίνωση της Ιεράς Αρχιεπισκοπής.

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Kosta Papadopoulos

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