Cardinal Invited to Cathedral in Athens, New Calendarists Allow Him to Venerate the Altar

File this under “there were no services going on, it was just tourism”.

According to the Uniate Greek Church of St Francis of Assisi on Facebook, the New Calendar hierarchy allowed Cardinal Leonardo Sandri of Argentina to venerate the altar of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens, as well as another Papal clergyman.

Traditionally, only Orthodox men given authorization can enter the altar. Apparently this isn’t true anymore.

Inside the Metropolitan Cathedral are the tombs of two saints killed by the Ottoman Turks during the Ottoman period: Saint Philothei and Patriarch Gregory V. We can be sure, having been martyred for the Orthodox faith, they were quite pleased with recent events.

But hey! It wasn’t during a service, right? And look how happy he is.