The Abbakoum Monastery case exposes many

 

15 March 2024, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

The Abbakoum Monastery case has rocked Cypriot society and the Church, but at the same time it also exposes the government, the competent Ministry, the Police and certain political parties.

1. The Christodoulides government and Minister of Justice are irreparably exposed because they attempted to portray the issue as an internal matter of the Church, at a time when serious criminal offences by various sides were being denounced, while the Police itself was involved in the case from the beginning. Neither can it be tolerated that the Police is backing down to let clergymen settle their differences outside procedures of law and of the state governed by the rule of law. The government and the leadership of the Police must be held accountable and this is precisely why AKEL has requested that the issue of the Police’s handling of this case be registered for debate in the Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee.
2. Religious beliefs and their manifestation are guaranteed in the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. What is not only unrelated to religious faith, but insults and tarnishes religious faith are the charlatanism rings and business schemes that are set up to exploit human suffering. The fight against these rings is not only a matter for the Church, which should have taken action much earlier. It is also the duty of the State to protect citizens, especially our fellow citizens who are in tragic situations of suffering and despair, from these rings.

AKEL has requested that the issue of the financial exploitation of religious faith be included for debate in the Parliamentary Internal Affairs Committee, a matter that does not only concern this particular case and is not limited to the issue of the legislation on fundraising. The decision of DISY, DIKO and EDEK to block the

registration of the issue for debate leaves them exposed. These parties either do not understand the responsibility that Parliament has towards society, or they do not want to confront these rings of deception.

3. The involvement of the leader of ELAM party in the case and his presence in an environment where it is alleged that he committed a number of criminal offences must be investigated. All the more so as this revelation follows the reaction of this Party to a debate in Parliament on both the issue of the charlatanism rings and the involvement of the police in the Abbakoum case.

AKEL will not accept a cover-up. With a responsibility towards all citizens, AKEL will insist that light must be shed on the case, that those responsible be held accountable and that the economic exploitation of the religious feelings of believers be stamped out.

15.03.2024