Priest Accused Of Sexual Harassment Reinstated, Nuns Start #ChurchToo Movement

Two nuns serving at the Holy Cross Church in Bay Ridge, New York, continue to run a “#ChurchToo” campaign on social media – a branch of the “#MeToo” movement that focuses on sexual abuse allegations against Catholic priests and churches – even as their convent supervisor, Rev. Gerasimos Makris, who was accused of sexual misconduct, was reinstated to their church.

The nuns, whose names have been withheld by the New York Post, from Long Island have become advocates for change on Facebook and Instagram, promoting anti-harassment messages such as “believe survivors,” “silence isn’t spiritual,” “end rape culture” and “take a stand,” by writing them on pieces of paper and holding them up to the camera.

In a recent post, they wrote, “Sexual abuse is real. It happens in our families, our local communities + even our faith communities, in every Christian denomination including the Orthodox Church.” The announcement of Makris' reinstation in October coincided with the moment the nuns started posting the empowering messages. It is unclear if any of their posts mentioned the priest specifically.

Together they run a small business called White Field Farm Soap. Co. where they train female victims of human trafficking to sell soap and candles to earn a living and also fund their enterprise. Bishop Andonios Paropoulos, the chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, told the Post he did not know about the social media campaign run by the pair of nuns.

Makris took over the reins of Holy Cross in 2007 after the institution’s former head, Rev. George Passias, was removed from his post following his affair with a married parochial school principal surfaced. Passias was found to have impregnated the principal after they engaged in kinky “cake crushing” fetish.

In 2017, Makris, who insisted on his parishioners kissing his hand, was accused by a woman of sexual harassment. She alleged Makris had made her “feel unnecessarily uncomfortable with interactions” including “hugs lasting too long etc. but nothing overtly sexual,” Paropoulos said. He was specifically told by the church administration to stay away from the accuser.

After that, Makris opened up about potentially inappropriate interactions with two other women. “Father[Makris] was immediately suspended,” the bishop said.

Although Paropoulos informed all the parishioners and staff via a letter in February that Makris will not be returning to the Holy Cross community in the future and had been sent to seek treatment, he said many of the churchgoers wanted him back.

“We were informed that the parishioners felt so strongly that they would protest in front of the Archdiocese for the return of their priest,” he said. “I would not have returned a clergyman to his former parish after what transpired but out of pastoral sensitivity to the desires of the overwhelming numbers of parishioners who sought his return.”

He added the priests testified to Makris’ “impeccable character and ethos, and that he lives an ascetic life to the extent that he doesn’t sleep on a bed but on the floor, and he is always accompanied by his mother everywhere he goes,” during a retreat last winter.

Although a therapist gave Makris all-clear to resume his active duties of a supervisor, a “spiritual court,” consisting of three priests held a meeting where they decided the accused should “not go back to his previous assignment.” Regardless, by popular demand, Makris was reinstated back to his old post. He was scheduled to lead the mass at the church Sunday.