The church of the Virgin Mary in Tinos where the icon is held, is one of the most profitable businesses in the world, or should I better say one of the most profitable scams. People from all over the world flock there, especially on the 15th of August as a pilgrimage, parting with some of their most valuable possessions in the vain hope of having a miracle happen.
Some, or rather a lot of people, walk on their knees to the church for a big length, sometimes doing this for a couple of hours to reach the church in humility. I can't imagine what this does to their knees, and how many of them will need to spend more money on doctors to fix their knees because they are idiots.
But if these people want to make the Orthodox Church richer and risk their health, it is their own business as long as they are adults. They have no right to impose this on their children. As the photo shows, some idiot parents made their small child walk on its knees to the church. What does this abuse do to a small child?
In other parts of the civilized world, these parents would have lost custody of their child. This is a disgusting practice, and this is child abuse. I am disgusted at those parents, they cannot be called parents, but child abusers.
NB. The photo is courtesy of Stefanos Papanikos.
