Greek Orthodox Priest Accused of Cruising on Grindr
A Greek Orthodox priest in Australia has been accused of using the gay dating app Grindr to cruise and arrange nighttime hookups with men.
A high-ranking Greek Orthodox priest in Southern Australia has been placed on temporary leave after allegations accusing him of cruising on Grindr surfaced.
Screenshots from Grindr posted online by the right-wing Australian newspaper The Advertiser allegedly show Archimandrite John Christodoulos, of the Archdiocese of Australia, also known as Father John Vasilaris, sending sexually explicit messages and photographs to other users.
A photo of the sender’s face appears to look like Christodoulos, and messages sent to one of the users include plans for a threesome he says “will be hot.”
The messages contain plans to meet in Fawkner, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.
Christodoulos moved to Fawkner after being assigned to a new parish, St. Nectarios church, around the time the messages were sent.
According to the Melbourne-based Greek community newspaper Neos Kosmos, Christodoulos reportedly claimed someone was using his photograph on the app to disparage him.
“Only an idiot could be an Archimandrite and at the same time have an account on a gay website, and even have a picture of himself, and believe that this would not be noticed,” Christodoulos reportedly said, according to a source close to the senior priest who spoke to the newspaper on his behalf.
The Advertiser claims that Christodoulos regularly chatted with other men on the Grindr app at night. The newspaper claimed to have hired a private investigator, who reportedly videotaped multiple men visiting the priest’s residence in Seacombe Gardens, a suburb of Adelaide, at nighttime.
At least one of those men has confirmed he met with Christodoulos, but did not provide details of their encounter.
A spokesperson for Archbishop Makarios, the highest-ranking member of the Greek Orthodox church in Australia, told The Advertiser they were “not aware of the allegations” against Christodoulos, but confirmed that an internal investigation had been launched.
Parishioners from Christodoulos’s previous assignment at St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Church in Noarlunga, outside of the city of Adelaide, spoke out in his defense, telling the right-wing newspaper the priest was a “good person.”
Father Mark, a Greek Orthodox priest at a nearby church, said he was “in shock” and that the Archimandrite’s behavior was “always appropriate.” The father rejected the allegations against Christodoulos as false.
“If someone is gay, you cannot hide it,” Father Mark said, adding that if the allegations were found to be true, Christodoulos “would be disordained.”
The Greek Orthodox church is still conservative, believing homosexuality to be a sin. The church does not recognize same-sex unions. While some dissident movements within the church are more accepting, the majority of the faith remains unfriendly towards LGBTQ people.
Christodoulos, has not made any public appearances since June 9, a day before the article broke.
He has not responded publicly to the allegations.
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