Greece

Greek Minister of Justice Costas Tsiaras announced on Tuesday that the government is now withdrawing its decision to reintroduce the criminalization of blasphemy in Greece. Following a public outcry and a massive wave of ridicule across social media, the Greek...

Greek Minister of Justice Costas Tsiaras announced in Parliament on Monday that the government intends to bring forward some landmark changes to the country's Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Codes. Among the most prominent changes will be the resumption of the...

The public prosecutor’s office in Athens has charged the organizers, producers and cast of the play Corpus Christi with blasphemy following a lawsuit filed by Bishop Seraphim of Piraeus. Directed by Albanian-born Laertis Vasiliou, Terrence McNally’s play had been staged...

A play dramatizing the story of Christ and the Apostles has been closed down following protests from the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party and religious groups that it was blasphemous, theater officials said. Terrence McNally’s Corpus Christi, directed by Albania-born Laertis...

A  27-year-old man was arrested in Greece for alleged blasphemy against a famous Greek monk, Elder Paisios, after pressure was applied by the ultra-religious neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party that has 18 Members of Parliament, Business Insider reported. Paisios, an Orthodox...

Thousands of worshippers defied the Covid-19 scare to travel to Thessaloniki over the weekend in order to pay their respects to Greek Orthodox Saint Paisios, whose tomb is located at the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian. Elder Paisios was...

Greece is among 27 nations which will participate in the nascent, US-led International Religious Freedom Alliance (IRF), which will adopt a collective approach in protecting and preserving religious freedom across the world. According to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,...

One thing we can all agree on is that Greeks generally love controversy. The cancellation of a film premiere about a basketball club triumph due to threats from opposing sports fans was just the latest in a series of...

Orthodox monks on Greece's Mount Athos have vowed to uphold their centuries-old ban on all female visitors, after a new government-sponsored gender identity law enabled citizens to change their gender at will. "In light of this legislation, we wonder what...

Thousands of worshipers traveled to Thessaloniki, Greece, in order to pay their respects to the Elder Paisios, whose tomb is located at the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian. Elder Paisios was canonized on January 13, 2015 by the Holy...

An appeals court nullified on Thursday a 10-month suspended prison sentence imposed on a Greek blogger who run a satirical webpage titled “Geron Pastitsios” (Elder Pastitsios) for “insulting religion,” ending his five-year legal battle. The court activated article 8 of...

Friday the 13th, also known as "Black Friday," is considered a spooky day by the majority of people in the Western world as it is permanently associated with dark legends, strong superstitions and bad luck. The notion of Friday the...

Ilias Kasidiaris, the spokesman for Greece's neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, facing charges along with other party leaders of running a criminal gang, told supporters that he will run for Mayor of Athens next year despite the government's vow to...

The conviction and 10-month suspended sentence for a Greek blogger who mocked a respected monk should cause "serious concern," the human rights group Amnesty International said, expressing its reservations over the prosecution of the man for creating a parody...

A 10-month suspended sentence was imposed by the court on 27-year-old Filippos Loizos, who became known in Greece through his humorous Facebook page “Geron Pastitsios.” He was convicted for habitual blasphemy and offense of religion. Loizos appealed, while the...