Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu spoke out against systematic pressure on the Church and the threats posed by digitalization

At the 24th General Priestly Assembly of the Metropolis of Corfu, held on September 10, 2026, in Kassiopi, Metropolitan Nektarios raised pressing issues concerning contemporary social life. In his address, His Eminence emphasized that, as the spiritual father of his people, he has no intention of remaining silent, despite attempts by influential political and intellectual circles to silence the Church. The Metropolitan called the Church a “thorn in the side” of modern systems seeking to impose a secular agenda, including issues of bioethics, euthanasia, and abortion.

Special attention was given at the congress to the risks associated with artificial intelligence and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Metropolitan Nektarios warned that algorithms that make decisions for people—from medical prescriptions to military operations and hiring practices—pose a threat to human freedom and critical thinking. He also criticized the modern elites’ pursuit of “digital dominance” and the imposition of ideologies that, in his view, ignore Christian identity and undermine traditional values.

Guest expert Pavlos Seraphim, a professor in the Faculty of Theology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, expanded on this idea, noting that while technology brings benefits in medicine, it also poses serious ethical risks. Among these risks are the danger of turning a human being into a “project” through DNA manipulation and the risk of losing free will in the name of technological convenience. At the conclusion of the conference, Metropolitan Nektarios called on the clergy to remain faithful to their pastoral duty and not to succumb to fear in the face of global changes, while upholding the value of the human person as a gift from God.