Month: March 2025

My name is Theodore Karakostas and I am a
Greek American. I would respectfully like to criticize the “art” that was displayed in your gallery. Those of us who are Orthodox Christians are offended and outraged by the blasphemous depictions of the icons of the most holy Theotokos and our God and savior Jesus Christ, and of the icon of Saint George the great martyr. The display of this “art” was thoughtless and a betrayal of Greece’s Orthodox faith which sustained Hellenism during the centuries of Turkish Occupation. 

The thoughtlessness of depicting this “art” 
Is exacerbated by the genocide now under way in the Middle East which Christian communities from Syria to Gaza are enduring. This is the time of year when the Orthodox are observing Great lent. This is a time for forgiveness and reconciliation.

Perhaps some apologies are in order. The museum and the artist might wish to apologize for the desecration of the icons. Christians are forgiving. The Greek Orthodox Church has permitted museums in America to display their sacred icons in the past. 

Is not the display of desecrated icons a step down for a museum to display? Many of us expect better from Museums which should display real art and not items that glorify destruction.

An icon is a holy item. Christians must not overreact but neither can we be indifferent  to such vile displays. There is a war on Christianity as can be seen by the aforementioned genocide in the Middle East, and an increasing intolerance for Christians among the powerful in Europe and America.

It was Saint John of Damascus who said  that 
Icons are Bibles for the eyes. To desecrate icons is to desecrate books. Those who desecrate books are usually fascists or 
Communists. They are not enlightened and 
the display of this “art” indicates a lack of enlightenment on the part of those who approved it. 

Theodore Karakostas 
Boston, MA
USA

As a Greek Orthodox Christian, I wish to respond to the article by Jo Lawson – Tancred
“Greek politician destroys art.. “. First, let me state that it is not consistent with the precepts of the gospel(especially during the Orthodox period of Lent) to engage in violence. Speaking for myself, I do not approve of violence in response to the blasphemous paintings in the Athens Museum.

It is indicative of how far the art world has fallen when it chooses to honor “art” that can only be seen as vile and reprehensible. The artist in question states that he did not mean to be offensive. It is indicative of his own ignorance if he did not understand how profaning the icons of Christ, the Mother of God, and Saint George the Great Martyr would offend Christians.

In my opinion the Art gallery in Athens should be defunded if public funds are being used to subsidize this sort of “art”. As Christians we are taught to forgive and to pray for those who persecute us. The artist in question would demonstrate enormous good will if he were to apologize for desecrating the holy icons and if the art community were to be more sensitive in terms of what they endorse.

Orthodox Churches (especially the Greek speaking Churches) have demonstrated remarkable displays of good will for the art community in the past. The Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai has in the past permitted icons to be displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Monasteries of Mount Athos have likewise cooperated with museums in the past by permitting icons to be displayed.

The artistic community is supposed to value and demonstrate artistic expression. The desecration of holy icons in Athens is nothing more than hooliganism and the equivalent of criminal elements who desecrate religious buildings in the commission of a hate crime.

In my view, the Orthodox Church should respond by ceasing any cooperation with the Greek Ministry of Culture in the future. Freedom of expression is one thing, but no one is guaranteed a right to display anti Christian displays in a Museum that is publicly funded by Christians.

In my opinion, this occasion should lead to mutual acts of forgiveness and understanding. The art world should acknowledge the sacrilegious nature of this “art” and should distance itself from it. The Greek Church in turn should call its faithful to order and to protest using peaceful means at a time when the Orthodox observe the period of Lent.

Theodore Karakostas 
Boston, Ma
USA