April 21, 2023
FEATURED, Society, Very Mix
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A storm of reactions has been caused in Turkey as a video-document shows the Grand Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Patriarchate being caught red-handed stealing a very valuable watch from an antique shop.
According to turkish and Greek media information, the Great Archimandrite and Archivist of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Agathangelos Siskos, was arrested and temporarily detained by the Turkish authorities on Easter Monday.
It all started when Archimandrite Agathangelos visited shops with expensive antiques. As you can see in the video below, taken from a CCTV camera, he appears to remove an 18th century watch worth 500,000 Turkish Liras, that is, approximately 24,000 euros.
Video CCTV
Archimandrite* Agathangelos was finally released by the Turkish authorities and after intervention of the police at the Patriarchate.
Turkish authorities imposed a ban on him leaving the country.
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos has indefinite suspended him from his duties.
Agathangelos from Kastoria in western Macedonia started his “spiritual career” at the Patriarchate in Istanbul.
In an interview with diaspora newspaper nationalherald, the Archimandrite refused even to accept he was featured in the CCTV video saying “he cannot say anything as investigation is ongoing.”
Regarding his suspension by the Patriarch, he said “this was a spiritual issue” and could not comment on it.
According to news website hellasJournal.com, the scandal has ramifications that reach as far as Washington, as the Archimandrite has been appointed responsible for the cooperation with the Museum of the Bible located in the American capital.
*Archimandrite is a dignitary in an Eastern church ranking below a bishop
PS He probably thought after the Holy Week and the Great Lent stealing is not a sin anymore …