“Greece today is under a blackmail by Turkey where when she wants, she opens the gates and send refugees,” Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece stressed, during a meeting with Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Eastern Catholic Church official.
The Cardinal thanked the Archbishop for the meeting and expressed his appreciation for the tradition of the Orthodox Church, wishing for the two Churches to have good relations. He spoke about their cooperation in dealing with the refugee problem, while praising the social work of the Church of Greece. He also referred to the economic crisis in the country and to the important charity action of the Archdiocese and the Metropolises.
The Archbishop referred to the refugee issue, stressing that “Greece today is under a blackmail by Turkey where when she wants, she opens the gates and sends refugees and migrants”, while emphasizing that “as a Church we cannot but help the helpless man, but we have the requirement to tell us exactly where our borders are and whether all states are obliged to guard the borders.” He also wondered why refugees find barriers and cannot leave Greece and whether Europe has become what its creators wanted.
Elsewhere, the Archbishop stressed that it is unfortunate for the Church to be used as a tool in the hands of politicians when they need her. Concluding his greeting on the occasion of the problems and difficulties of the time, the Archbishop wished “God to give us the power and take away our selfishness.”
