In Greece, Orthodox Priest Buys Inmates Their Freedom In The Midst Of Financial Crisis

[hrmjustin]

AP | By COSTAS KANTOURIS

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Germany made headlines this week by letting Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One chief, pay $100 million to end his bribery trial. In Greek justice, money talks in a different way: Some inmates jailed for minor offences are allowed to buy their freedom — at an average rate of five euros per day.

With the rich at a clear advantage, Greek Orthodox priest Gervasios Raptopoulos has devoted his life to paying off the prison terms of penniless inmates.

The soft-spoken 83-year-old with a long white beard and black robes has helped more than 15,000 convicts secure their freedom over nearly four decades, according to records kept by his charity. The Greek rules apply only to people convicted of offences that carry a maximum five-year sentence, such as petty fraud, bodily harm, weapons possession, illegal logging, resisting arrest and minor drugs offences.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/10/greece-priest-inmates_n_5658065.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

1. In the "Stupid Religion" thread in the Religion group

There are those who are damning Christians who get moral precepts from the Bible. I wonder if skepticscott would condemn Father Gervasios for following Matthew 25:36, "I was in prison and you visited me." Indeed, Father Gervasios takes it a step further: I was in prison and you freed me.

[hrmjustin]

2. I wonder if they those who think it is stupid would have the courage to call him stupid to his face.

[rpannier]

3. Great Guy, True Christian