Archbishop of Athens condemns Israeli desecration of Jesus statue in southern Lebanon

The Archbishop of Athens on Tuesday condemned the desecration of a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon, warning that war-driven violence risks deepening divisions and harming innocent civilians, Anadolu reports. Archbishop Ieronymos II expressed “deep concern” over the incident, which involved damage to a statue depicting the crucified Jesus, and questioned the motives behind the act, according to Orthodox Times. Ieronymos emphasized that Jesus “did not use violence nor lead military actions,” but instead preached love, repentance, and forgiveness. The remarks came after the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that one of its soldiers had damaged a Christian religious symbol during operations in southern Lebanon. The military said it was treating the incident with “great severity,” adding that such behavior does not […]