Sex scandal bishop cleared

All Greek Orthodox church leaders must be celibate

Leaders of the Greek Orthodox church have cleared a Cyprus bishop who has been at the centre of a sex scandal.

It's tragic to start your life as I did at 14, a pure, innocent, quiet child and then throw me out like a dog at 18 because I would not satisfy their every whim

Christos Stangos

Bishop Athanassios of Limassol was accused by fellow clergy of having had sexual relationships with other monks in his youth.

Bishops within the Orthodox Church are required to be celibate and homosexuality is still generally frowned on.

But at a special synod, Othodox leaders unanimously acquitted Bishop Athanassios, saying the witnesses against him were not credible.

'Intimate knowledge'

The decision was announced at a meeting of more than 20 bishops and patriarchs, only the second full session of the church's Major Holy Synod in its 2,000-year history.

It was greeted with loud applause by Bishop Athanassios' supporters, who maintain that he was the victim of a conspiracy by opponents who felt threatened by his popularity.

Three laymen gave evidence against the bishop, telling of their alleged liaisons with him.

I have plenty of evidence, including pictures

Lesperis Psyllos

One, a 33-year-old hairdresser called Christos Stangos, claims he was seduced by the bishop while he was a novice monk at Mount Athos.

"It's tragic to start your life as I did at 14, a pure, innocent, quiet child and then throw me out like a dog at 18 because I would not satisfy their every whim," Mr Stangos told the inquiry.

Another witness, Lesperis Psyllos, declared he knew every inch of Athanassios' body "intimately" and challenged the clergy to disrobe the bishop to check his account.

"I have plenty of evidence, including pictures," Mr Psyllos said.

Set for promotion

However, a BBC correspondent in Cyprus says that after the decision, the way seems clear for Bishop Athanassios, who is identified with a fundamentalist-style spiritual revival, to stand as a possible successor to the aging Archbishop of Cyprus.

His main accuser, the Bishop of Paphos, is seen as more part of the mainstream Cypriot church, which has extensive business interests on the island.

The church has yet to decide what steps, if any, to take against the Bishop of Paphos.