Church NGO under scrutiny
The Church of Greece’s Holy Synod is today expected to discuss recommendations by the priest who heads its economic affairs committee that the finances of its charity organization Agapi (Love) be thoroughly checked. Kathimerini has seen a letter sent by Theoklitos, the bishop of Ioannina, to Archbishop Ieronymos in which the head of the committee that examines the Church’s finances suggests that an investigation should be launched into how Agapi, a nongovernmental organization formerly known as Allilegi (Solidarity), had managed almost 4 million euros over the last two years. Theoklitos suggests the charity funds are being mismanaged and no effort is being made to cut costs. «The organization should be operating in crisis mode, not like it is at the moment,» the bishop’s letter says. He adds that the debts being racked up by the NGO are putting a severe strain on Church finances. An internal investigation by the Church completed in 2008 found that some 10 million euros of the money given to the charity was unaccounted for.
