Those responsible for attacking the personality, honour and reputation of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia were convicted by the Judiciary of Greece, and in the second degree, the Association with the name “Panhellenic Orthodox Union”, which owns the newspaper “Orthodoxos Typos” and the website “www.orthodoxostypos.gr”, and their Editorial Director, Mr. Georgios Tramboulis.
The issuance and publication of decision No. 4726/2023 of the Tripartite Court of Appeal of Athens, which is final, marks the closure of a distressing cycle of inappropriate and indecent attacks, which had begun exactly four years ago, in February 2020, with repeated, obsessive and ultimately demonic publications by the “Orthodoxos Typos” newspaper against His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia and, more broadly, the Orthodox Church and the Greek Community of the fifth continent.
Despite the blatant unethical behaviour of the editors (one of whom turned out to be a “non-existent” person) and the spirit of hostility that permeated all their “written work”, Archbishop Makarios and the Holy Archdiocese of Australia showed good intentions and attempted to restore the truth and remove the multitude of distortions contained in the publications of the “Orthodoxos Typos” before the case was brought to Justice. Unfortunately, however, the “newspaper under the misleading title “Orthodoxos Typos”, did not respond in a spirit of conformity and remorse; on the contrary, they insisted on its “inquisitorial” discourse and its corresponding expression and ethos.
As a consequence of this, to prevent the further tarnishing of the Archbishop’s personality and the work carried out in the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, but above all to prevent the blatant distortion of the Holy Canons and the truths of the Holy Gospel, the final decision was made by the Greek Judiciary. With the final sentencing decision issued by the Tripartite Court of Appeal of Athens, the “Panhellenic Orthodox Union” Association and the Editorial Director of the “Orthodoxos Typos” newspaper and the corresponding website, were obliged to: a) pay monetary compensation to the plaintiff and compensation for court costs, b) delete – withdraw the disputed publications from the website of the “Orthodoxos Typos” newspaper, c) enter a summary of the judgment in their newspaper, both printed and electronic formats, in the same place where the first of reprehensible publications had been published.
On the occasion of his final vindication by the Greek Justice System, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia made the following statement: “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 the feelings of bitterness and concern that overwhelm me as I reflect on the spiritual descent in which this particular newspaper has collapsed into, 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 illumination 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 dishonorable and profane publications. May God forgive them, bless them and enlighten them.”
Warm thanks for the legal support of the case are due to the lawyer, Professor of the Law School of the University of Athens, Mr. Lambros Kitsaras, and to his colleague, lawyer, Ms. Ifigenia Papachristou.
