Church runs illegal lottery to fund unpermitted monastery construction
The Church of Panagia Ayia Napa conducted an unlicensed raffle to raise funds for an illegally built monastery in a protected area. The Ministry of Finance considers this a serious offense and plans to demand an immediate halt to the raffle, as well as forward a report to the police for investigation. The raffle tickets also included a section for collecting donations, but the Church clarified that the funds were for general charitable purposes, not specifically for the controversial monastery project. Environmental groups have condemned the Church’s actions, questioning the legitimacy of the raffle and criticizing the promotion of an unlawful construction project.