Massive search for miraculous Greek icon Aug. 20, 2006. 07:32 AM
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Police set up roadblocks and launched helicopter searches Saturday for a 700-year-old religious icon that was stolen from a monastery in southern Greece. The Icon of The Virgin Mary, which is credited with miracles, was reported missing Friday at the Orthodox Christian monastery Elona, near the town Leonidio, about 300 kilometres southwest of Athens. "This is the worst thing that could happen to us, our church and our religion," said Metropolitan Bishop Alexandros of Mantineia and Kynouria. Alexandros described the icon, which measures 40 centimetres by 50 centimetres, as "priceless." Alexandros said he believes the robbers used climbing equipment to reach the monastery, which is built into the face of a cliff. The robbers may have been hiding on the monastery grounds before it closed for the evening Thursday, Alexandros said. Police said they found ropes used by the thieves to guide their way across the roof of a monastery building. The deputy head of the Greek police, a former senior anti-terrorism officer, is heading the investigation. Thousands of worshippers visit the icon each year, most around Aug. 15, an Orthodox Christian religious holiday in honour of the Virgin Mary. The stolen artwork was one of several famous religious icons in Greece, where offerings or votive gifts are left by worshippers who pray for recovery from illness or successful conception, or make other prayers. =============== Group Moderator: [EMAIL PROTECTED] page at http://magazine.sorabia.net for more informations about current situation in Serbia http://www.sorabia.net Slusajte GLAS SORABIJE nas talk internet-radio (Serbian Only) http://radio.sorabia.net Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sorabia/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
