Migrants desecrate churches and icons in Thessaloniki

by Eleni Kritsidima
SOURCE: meaculpa.gr

Illegal immigrants who loiter outside the church and have developed abusive behaviors have lately been taking to destroying this icon. And they do it again and again. Every time the nuns repaint the icon from the beginning.

The latest attack on the icon was on December 6, the day of Agios Nikolaos. Repainting is a time-consuming process, so the image has not yet returned to its original form. The event was highlighted through social media by businesswoman Aphrodite Latinopoulou. Seeing the photo she posted and reading what she was complaining about, I contacted her.

Passing by two days ago, Aphrodite stopped to light a candle. Surprisingly, she noticed that the image of the Virgin Mary had all been scratched and removed. She searched for the church alderman to find out what happened and what she was told she shared with her online friends.

In our communication, she pointed out to me that the space outside the Temple has become a haven for illegal immigrants, at all times of the day. They are divided into groups, often squabbling with each other, and there are often times when knives come out. The Thessaloniki residents avoid crossing through the area at night and even visiting the church for fear of being attacked.

Note that this is the second largest church in Thessaloniki after the church of Saint Demetrius. According to the story of the woman who has taken care of the chapel, the illegal immigrants do not just vandalize the image. They enter the church and rob the faithful, grabbing what they easily can, mobile phones, purses, and have not hesitated to steal even the silver candlesticks of the temple. Their action does not stop there. Almost systematically, they are defecate within the chapel, something that, according to the alderman, they do in other temples. When people clean the outer stairs, they often spit it at them.

Thessaloniki Mayor Konstantinos Zervas, in communication with meaculpa, pledged to press as hard as possible to find a solution. He regretted the events, explaining that the municipal police were not repressive and that their human resources at the moment were very small. "Nevertheless, and with a sense of protection for the inhabitants, I pledge that I will strive to eradicate the criminality and abuse of the symbols of our Faith," concluded Zervas.