Resumption of trial. Defense witness testimony.

“There is one lie in Alikakos’ book: the miracle of the Holy Fire”

The Court reconvened with the same composition on March 29, 2024, and continued the session with the testimony of the defense witnesses.
I quote the main excerpts from the testimony of Father Charalambos Kopanakis, priest of the Holy Church of Saint George in the village of Sokaras, Crete, and of the award-winning author (State Essay Award 2017), translator, and journalist Pantelis Boukalas.

Fr. Charalambos Kopanakis
– My presence here today is not for emotional reasons, but for reasons of conscience. And I explain, I do not know any of the defendants, I did not know any of the plaintiffs, nor did I know Mr. Alikakos, until a few months ago, when we met in person.
What I knew well was Orthodox theology, and specifically the ecclesiology of the Orthodox Church, and for years I understood that such an event cannot have a place within the Orthodox Church, which performs rational worship. That is, everything we perform in the church, its external form and structure, has no logical inconsistency. So I suspected that something heaven-sent could not be true. Subsequently, I came into contact with the journalistic investigation conducted by Mr. Alikakos. I saw the seriousness of the investigation, I saw the absolutely valid findings of the material from this investigation, and last year I decided to speak publicly about it. That’s how we came into contact with Mr. …

– So you met the defendant after the book was published?

– Many years later, a few months ago. When I decided to speak publicly about the validity of this research, that it does not fight Orthodoxy. I am very saddened that Mr. Alikakos has become synonymous in ecclesiastical circles as an enemy of Orthodoxy, whereas I consider him an ambassador of Orthodoxy, because with this research he restores Orthodox ecclesiology. And I am also enthusiastic about the plaintiff fathers who were given the opportunity and the platform to expose a deeply rooted problem that has no historical precedent and has lasted for over 10 centuries. Congratulations on their courage. Because now I am a clergyman, who tries to align with the promise I made at my ordination. To always bear witness to the truth, I know that this often comes at a very high price. I hear the cry of Archbishop Cornelius who says, “they don’t want the truth.” Many times when we speak the truth, we are persecuted. Nevertheless, congratulations to the fathers who delivered the truth to history, and I am sure that in a short historical time, they will be given due credit. I understand, forgive my phrasing for the court, the bullying they may have received by revealing this truth, which obviously also became the reason for them to file this lawsuit. But I want them to remain steadfast.

Pantelis Boukalas
– I have been a journalist for 45 years, and an author for as many years, and I am familiar with what happens in the publishing and journalism fields. I knew Mr. Alikakos, Dimitris Alikakos, from his journalistic presence, and I immensely valued Ekremes Publications, because they are among the most reputable and serious in the publishing field, with approximately 30 years of history, and 300 titles that fill gaps in what we would call the country’s intellectual life. Many of their titles are a true service to the country. Difficult titles, aimed at a demanding audience, and the books themselves are meticulously crafted, with absolute responsibility. Kant, Spinoza, Husserl.
I undertook to write the afterword with great willingness, because the text I read was exactly what I expected from Mr. Alikakos, a journalist known for his insistence on evidence, on documented journalism.
Precisely for this reason, because I trust and respect him, as a member of the scientific committee of the Hellenic Parliament Foundation, I was assigned to organize a three-day conference on Democracy and Media. And at one of the panels, during one of the sessions, I also invited Mr. Alikakos as a speaker, one of the most prominent figures in what is called online journalism, because he is responsible for the urban non-profit company known as ‘Greek Hoaxes’ for combating misinformation, which has truly helped many people escape scams, whether concerning medicines or herbs, and has also exposed the manipulations and falsehoods of many, many others. It is a service provided by Greek Hoaxes and Mr. Alikakos, and it also certifies the way he serves journalism.

– And my last question. Considering the book, and before its publication since you contributed the afterword, and having seen the video and the evidentiary material, is there anything false in the book?

– One falsehood is: the miracle. All the rest is true.