Athens, Greece, June 19, 2023
Photo: mystagogyresourcenter.com
A Greek priest who was suspended amidst an “altar girls” scandal has been reinstated and served at his church again yesterday.
Fr. Alexandros Kariotglou of the Church of St. Nicholas in the Plaka neighbordhood of Athens found himself at the center of a scandal after a picture surfaced of two girls in altar boy vestments holding candles in his church. The Archdiocese of Athens initially suspended him while the matter was being investigated.
The story quickly became international news, with many outlets reporting that Fr. Alexandros was suspended for having altar girls.
However, the priest also notes that while the boys entered the altar, the girls never did.
Opinions about the event were sharply divided in Greece. Many were scandalized, but many, including his parishioners, came to Fr. Alexandros’ defense, saying he works hard to cultivate a love for Orthodoxy in everyone.
In the end, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece met last week and decided to reinstate Fr. Alexandros after a short suspension, reports Vima Orthodoxias and many other Greek outlets.
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