A clergyman who has recently been recruited by the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia, was discharged from the Church of Greece for his homosexuality, shocking the Adelaide community, according to sources.
Documents given to Neos Kosmos reveal that the priest, a former hieromonk, Athanasios Rigalos, confessed to his homosexuality, and was subsequently defrocked by Holy Synod of the Church of Greece.
The sexual preferences of the former clergyman of the Church of Greece were discovered in 1989, after he forgot a bag full of pornographic material in an Athens shop.
An incident report by the General Police Directorate of Attica (Protocol No. 3005/4/12-13 December 1989) entitled “Search of the briefcase of Hieromonk Rigalos Athanasios” – that Neos Kosmos has obtained – states:
“In one compartment of the bag there were a stole, a cross and some religious books, and in another one a copy of the magazine GAY for people with homosexual tendencies, two pages from unknown pornographic magazine with colour pictures of men in lewd acts and attitudes among other various objects.”
Neos Kosmos is also in possession of a copy of a determination of the Synod Court of First Instance of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece (Determination 142/1990) addressed to Bishop Nikandros (in South Australia) whereby the monk Athanasios Rigalos is removed “from the high service of priesthood and eliminate him from the Holy Monastery Antinitsis … finally stripped him of all priestly rank and title, as well as of the monasticism, and return him to the laity.”
According to the Synod document, in his apology the defendant – then the monk Athanasios Rigalos – in the presence of members of the Synod Court, “… confessed, fully and clearly that he drifted into homosexuality,” since his young age.
According to sources, Mr Rigalos’ past has caused tension in the GOCSA board, with some members insisting that “Mr Rigalos’ past should not be of concern.”
Neos Kosmos understands that the religious status of the Community and the Federation of Greek Orthodox Communities of Australia will be discussed at the gathering of the members of the Federation, today in Melbourne.