Greek priest-musician explains remarks on homosexuality and far right

Father Dionysios Tabakis, a Greek Orthodox priest who became a cult figure in experimental music after releasing a home-recorded album of drone metal and religious dubstep, has issued a statement addressing controversies over his views and public appearances. Tabakis’s political and religious positions drew scrutiny after two blog posts he wrote in 2024, around the time Greece became the first Christian Orthodox-majority country to legalize same-sex marriage. The posts referred to gay people as “Sodomites,” described gay marriage as a “sodomitic monstrosity” and called the same-sex marriage legislation blasphemous. In a statement shared with The Guardian, Tabakis said his position on homosexuality was the same as that of the Orthodox church, “nothing more, nothing less.” He also said homosexual people should receive love and acceptance, noting that some had experienced rejection from their families and that he had welcomed homosexual people who came to him for confession. His statement continued to describe homosexuality as sinful within his understanding of Orthodox teaching. At the same time, he said he respected individual freedom, including the freedom to sin and repent. A separate controversy concerns a 2013 YouTube video that recently resurfaced on Greek social media. It showed Tabakis performing a sanctification ceremony at the opening of an office building for Golden Dawn, the neo-Nazi party that held seats in Greece’s parliament from 2015 to 2019. Golden Dawn was criminalized in 2020, and its leadership received prison sentences for murder, assault and weapons offenses. Tabakis said he carried out the ceremony as part of his official duties and at the request of a superior authority. He added that he had attended similar ceremonies involving other political and municipal groups. Heat Crimes, the Greek label that released his debut album, told Pitchfork that Orthodox priests routinely conduct blessing ceremonies at many kinds of premises. The label said performing such a ceremony does not by itself demonstrate political support for the organization involved. Tabakis also said he opposed nationalism, citing its association with bloodshed and war, and referred to his grandparents’ opposition to Hitler and Nazism. His album, Paradise Metal, received a 7.6 critics’ score from Pitchfork and led to profiles in international media including The Guardian and The New York Times.