Exposing the political system
The size of the wealth of the Vatopedi Monastery was enough to expose the political system, yet again. Does it really take just a handful of money-grabbing monks to humiliate the political system, the state and justice? It appears that it does. The evidence brought to light by the parliament’s investigation into the scandal, coupled with the findings of other probes, shows that for a number of years land, real estate, companies and millions of drachmas and euros have been swirling around according to a well-laid plan, spurred by incessant political arrogance. Now the rain of accusations among ministers before the committee is like a bad game of cards: Everyone is holding a joker and can’t wait to pass it on to the next person. None of them is admitting to any responsibility, none knew what was going on. In fact, former Minister of State Theodoros Roussopoulos claims he never saw or heard anything about the scandal, while his spiritual father, the abbot of the gilded monastery, never mentioned to him, even in passing, anything about money or real estate. He is also deeply saddened by the «great wound» this scandal, once proven false, will inflict on the Church, «one of the basic pillars of Hellenism.» And he promises to visit Mount Athos in due course. Ministers who play cards in the people’s faces, betting their hand on the public interest, and ministers who play dumb expose the system and show it to be rotten to the core. They show it to be a source of despair and unreliability, completely lacking. The message they send is that this ship is sailing off course with no captain at the helm as the crew looks away from the looming rocks, unwilling to take responsibility. How is the country supposed to deal with its everyday problems and those that loom on the horizon? With what morale and courage can it go on? The answer from the investigation is: just as it is, sailing alone, for as long as it takes.
