A courageous and praiseworthy Greek priest denounced the Pope.

On Saturday, December 4, 2021, the respected and honored clergyman of the Greek Orthodox Church, His Eminence Fr. Ioannis Diotis, moved by a sincere love for Christ and his neighbor, at the gates of the Archdiocese of Athens, addressed to Pope Francis as to a neighbor, who needs spiritual help and the Word of truth and not flattering words, which keep him in the realm of lawlessness. He shouted three times:

“Pope, you are a heretic!".

The police immediately rushed at the priest and dragged him away with such force that the ninety-year-old Elder fell to the ground.

However, the violent actions of the police did not extinguish his spirit at all. He stood up and repeated:

"I said he is a heretic. He must repent! The Pope is unacceptable in Greece."

Fr. Ioannis fulfilled his duty to God and to his conscience. He expressed his position as an Orthodox Christian and a Good Shepherd. He did not remain silent and did not lie, claiming that “everything is fine”, that “there is no reason to worry”, and that “the main thing is not faith in God, but human love”. He did not intend to persuade anyone, but he felt, with his pure soul, truly loving God, that he should openly protect the Lord and His Church, to say things publicly in their name. This is a true believer! And those who can not do the same, immediately start throwing mud at him. At the Last Judgment of Christ, we will be ashamed in front of such people.

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Protopresbyter Ioannis K. Diotis was born in 1930 in the village of Paleokatuna (Greece). After serving in the navy, he graduated from the theological faculty of the University of Athens. Since 1957, for more than forty years he served in the Athenian church of St. Great Martyr Panteleimon. Collaborator of famous Greek Orthodox newspaper “Orthodox Typos” (Orthodox Press). Publisher of Patrologia Graeca (PG). Holder of many honorary awards, including awards from the Athens Academy of Sciences and the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece.