Golden Dawn and Greek Orthodox

[Touma]

Golden Dawn And The Greek Orthodox Church - Business Insider

Golden Dawn, the right-wing Greek political party often referred to as neo-Nazis, is ascendant on the political scene, and currently polls in third place at the national level.

The party has also been engaging in intimidation and street attacks on immigrants in Greece, who they target as a part of their extremist platform – and the police are reportedly in on it.

Golden Dawn has also drawn alarming support from parts of another institution supposed to provide refuge to such victims – the church.

Over the weekend, Golden Dawn celebrated the opening of a new branch office in Corinth, and priests were there for the occasion to ordain it.

Andy Dabilis has been covering the interactions between Golden Dawn and the church from Athens. He wrote for Southeast European Times that Golden Dawn has taken heavily to invoking religion:

With fines up to 3,000 euros and imprisonment up to two years, Greece's blasphemy penalties have rarely been invoked, but critics said police have been pushed by the neo-Nazi and ultra-religious Golden Dawn party to crack down on those it believes offend God and the Greek Orthodox Church.

Recent arrests and protests have brought religion to the forefront in a country that is one of the few in Europe with a state-recognized religion. More than 90 percent of Greeks identify themselves as Greek Orthodox.

However, although certain elements in the church are aligning themselves closely with the party, there are a few that have spoken out.
One is Metropolitan Pavlos of Siatista, whose comments about Golden Dawn Dabilis covered in a separate article for the Greek Reporter:

In an interview with Imerisia newspaper, [Metropolitan Pavlos of Siatista] described Golden Dawn as “uncivilized,” adding that the party’s acts “have nothing to do with ancient Greek civilization nor the Gospel.” He added: “We all have to take a clear stand on the Golden Dawn issue… we have to preach the word of God, which has nothing to do with the acts committed by members of Golden Dawn,” he said.

That stance, though, has led the priest to receive death threats from Golden Dawn supporters, Dabilis says:

Metropolitan Pavlos of Siatista, a town in West Macedonia, said the calls have warned him that, “We shall burn that commie,” an apparent reference to Communists, who Golden Dawn, an extremist right-wing party, sees as one of the many enemies it believes is undermining Greece. There have reportedly been many threats made against the church, whose officials said they believe are coming from Golden Dawn and other ultra-nationalists who want all immigrants out of Greece and have a “Greece for Greeks” ideology.

All of this shows that Golden Dawn definitely seems to be gaining influence across several major institutions in Greece.

Seeing as this is the EO forum, I am certain that there are plenty of Greek Orthodox posters here. I am just curious as to see what your thoughts are on this situation.

Also, anyone in Greece or having ties to Greece: Can you give us your perspective on what's really happening there? Sometimes the news can exaggerate, leave out details, fail to cover both sides, etc

 

[ArmyMatt]

Lord have mercy is all I can say.

 

[The Unorthodox Orthodox]

Lord have mercy is all I can say.

Indeed.
However, I have to say that most priests I know condemn the actions of Golden Dawn,
and have even appeared on TV to talk against it's ways
and explain why they contradict with those of the Christ.

And how can you blame them for doing so, when these neo-fascists come to the people working at the Church's meals for the poor and tell them not to feed the immigrants and let them starve so that "the county may get cleaner"!

But what really annoys me about Golden Dawn, is that they are trying to act like the patrons of the Church and proclaim themselves "Christians", while at the same time they beat up (and even kill) people, just because they were born black!

This is where I have to express my respect towards Archbishop of Greece Jerome, who sent this message to the Golden Dawn Party;

...The Church loves all people; Non Christians, black, white...
It loves all people without discrimination.
Secondly, it follows it's own path and has no need of patrons.

Archbishop Jerome has done a lot to relieve the suffering people in Greece,
and to fight the racism that threatens to turn us into immoral beasts.
I congratulate him and wish that all clerics were like him.

PS: The Golden Dawn can hardly be described as devout Christians.
A good deal of them are neo-pagans, who consider Christianity "a Jewish invention to destroy the Ancient Greek spirit".
Their Leader ( "mr" Mihaloliakos) himself has written a poem where he glorifies the Ancient Greek Gods.

 

[Touma]

Indeed.
However, I have to say that most priests I know condemn the actions of Golden Dawn,
and have even appeared on TV to talk against it's ways
and explain why they contradict with those of the Christ.

And how can you blame them for doing so, when these neo-fascists come to the people working at the Church's meals for the poor and tell them not to feed the immigrants and let them starve so that "the county may get cleaner"!

But what really annoys me about Golden Dawn, is that they are trying to act like the patrons of the Church and proclaim themselves "Christians", while at the same time they beat up (and even kill) people, just because they were born black!

This is where I have to express my respect towards Archbishop of Greece Jerome, who sent this message to the Golden Dawn Party;

Archbishop Jerome has done a lot to relieve the suffering people in Greece, and to fight the racism that threatens to turn us into immoral beasts.
I congratulate him and wish that all clerics were like him.

PS: The Golden Dawn can hardly be described as devout Christians. A good deal of them are neo Pagans, who consider Christianity "a Jewish invention to destroy the Ancient Greek spirit".
Their Leader ( "mr" Mihaloliakos) himself has written a poem where he glorifies the Ancient Greek Gods.

Wow! Thanks for your input. I literally have zero knowledge of this group, so it is good to hear the perspective of someone living in Greece.

 

[Ariadne_GR]

Golden Dawn is a joke masquerading around as a serious political party. There are members of the church who have spoken out against them and it is only due to the public's stupidity that they have the power they have in the first place. Hopefully next time the Greeks will remember to vote with their heads.

 

[The Unorthodox Orthodox]

...it is only due to the public's stupidity that they have the power they have in the first place. Hopefully next time the Greeks will remember to vote with their heads.

Let's not be too cruel on these people.
A poll has shown that more than 80% (some say 95%) of the people who voted the Golden Dawn, have done so, not because they agree with their policies and ideas but because "they are desperate".
Us Greeks may have a lot of flaws, but one thing we are definitely not is fascists.
We are desperate, because we see our country getting humiliated, our fellow Greeks suffer and the corrupted politicians getting richer.

 

[Lukaris]

As an outsider I would say Golden Dawn is a dangerous fascist group abusing the name of Greek Orthodox but may be sincere in their own warped understanding of their identity. I also think they are part of a reaction from a segment of the population that may have born its share of crime from some of the segments golden dawn advocates violence against. The situation in Greece & in many other European nations may end up like the external horrors that resulted in the breakup of Yugoslavia in which all groups were equally abusive & abused but the press singled out the Serbs as the bad guys & mighty NATO flexed its muscle against innocent Serb civilians in its own hypocritical righteousness. If European nations do decay into internal warfare, like Yugoslavia, the drones will probably directed against the likes of golden dawn but not al quaeda (or any others for ex.).