Greece: Catholic leaders charged in €3 million financial scandal

Prosecutors on the island of Syros have filed felony charges against Catholic clerics and civilians in connection with the alleged misuse of more than €3 million in church funds.

According to Kathimerini, Greece’s anti-money laundering authority uncovered transfers from the official bank account of the Catholic Diocese of Syros to five accounts linked to a 53-year-old nightclub owner from Patra. Court documents describe the transactions as unjustified transfers from “natural persons managing accounts of a religious legal entity.”

Clergy and civilians involved

The case involves two clerics, including the former head of the Syros diocese, and six civilians. Charges include embezzlement exceeding €120,000, complicity in embezzlement, and money laundering.

Investigators say the businessman used the diverted funds to sublet a nightclub. He had previously received an eight-year suspended sentence for extorting a cleric.

The scandal, which broke nearly a year ago, has shaken Greece’s Catholic Church. Earlier this spring, the Vatican accepted the resignation of the Syros bishop.