Philenews dared. He conducted an investigation into the hot but sensitive issue of the scandal at the Monastery of St. Havvakum. The project also had a dose of risk, because issues from the field of religion that emerge as scandals often make people very reserved and cautious. Even if the research preserves the anonymity of the respondents. In this case, however, over 3,000 readers (2,858 validly) dared to submit their opinion.
The point, as in any opinion poll, is to find out how society perceives an issue and how it positions itself on it. In this particular poll, however, the results revealed something much more important. They highlighted the fact that society is equally positioned as to who or who are to blame for the said multi-faceted scandal.
Specifically, 57% of those who responded to the survey believe that the monks are responsible and 56% that the Metropolitan of Tamasos is responsible. Whether this result is due to the fact that half assign responsibility to one side and the other half to the other side, or to the fact that a majority believes that both sides bear responsibility, the same thunderous message is sent by the poll.
That both the investigation of the Holy Synod, and the investigation of the Police, must proceed in depth and to shed abundant light both in terms of the potential responsibilities of the monks, as well as in terms of the potential responsibilities of the Metropolitan.
We have pointed this out in previous articles and will repeat it. A simple condemnation of the monks by the Holy Synod for offenses which, based on church regulations, with what has already seen the light of day, are now considered given, is not enough. For the simple reason that, as our investigation has shown, the Metropolitan is considered to bear responsibility as well. Possibly, not in the way the monks are involved in the scandal. Nevertheless, there are excruciating questions which Mr. Isaias is asked to answer. There are also indications that point to indirect but equally serious responsibility.
The Metropolitan must be asked to provide information on all the money he has received in recent years from the Monastery. To prove whether everything was officially deposited, with receipts in the Monastery’s account. Or if money was also received without receipts. To give a convincing answer as to why he waited so long to denounce the monks. To document whether he had or had not realized the greed of faith and the “miracles” with the alleged myrrh. To explain why he had not investigated the phenomenon of the thousands of believers who gathered every Sunday in Fterikoudi.
Our insistence on the necessity to investigate in detail everything concerning the involvement, the tolerance, the knowledge he had about what was happening and also the discovery of every claim of the monks against Isaiah, is fully justified by the positions of the vast majority of public opinion in the Philenews investigation. Society will not rest until it sees a full and detailed investigation of everyone involved.
At the same time, we must point out that a statement by Archbishop George in an interview with his colleague Andreas Kimitri in “K” has worried us.
“We will not blame Metropolitan Tamasos for something he himself brought to the public. Speaking in retrospect, perhaps he should have set stricter criteria and frameworks within which to move in this particular Monastery, he should have shown more attention to these young people he put there to establish a monastery. He said it himself that he was tricked” the Archbishop mentions regarding Metropolitan Isaiah.
May the Archbishop allow us to disagree. The fact that the Metropolitan brought the scandal to the public cannot a priori exonerate Mr. Isaiah. Playing devil’s advocate, one might claim that the monks’ claims were true and therefore sought to expose them in order to get rid of them. At the same time, one might suggest that the fact that he allowed a miracle industry to operate for two years, deceiving thousands of believers, is enough to assign him a huge share of responsibility.
It is too innocent to claim that he was tricked into convincing public opinion. Therefore, the message sent stentorian to the Archbishop, through the Philenews investigation, is that the enormous stain is not going to be washed away by a simple condemnation of the monks. There must be absolute transparency for the investigation concerning the Metropolitan.
Let him carefully read the conclusions of the research and he will understand the essence: One in two declares that his trust in the Church has been shaken!