The Greek Orthodox Church's Holy Synod has denounced the content of an exhibition at the National Gallery – the Alexandros Soutsos Museum, in Athens, following a vandalism attack by an ultraconservative lawmaker.

In a statement on March 11, the Holy Synod said it "expressed its regret for the content of certain works" on display and had decided "to take appropriate action towards the Greek government," the Kathimerini site reported.

The exhibition, running alongside a display of 80 engravings by Spanish master Francisco Goya, includes works that caricature religious icons and themes.

The preceding day, Nikolaos Papadopoulos, a lawmaker from the small right-wing, ultra-religious Niki party, attacked four paintings in the exhibition "The Allure of the Bizarre," featuring Greek artists.

He flung the paintings to the floor, shattering the glass frames.

Police detained Papadopoulos for several hours before releasing him.

A few days before his actions in the gallery, Papadopoulos had sent a letter to the National Gallery and submitted a formal question to the Minister of Culture, demanding the removal of the exhibits, tovima.com reported.

The museum temporarily shut down following the attack, turning visitors away.

Papadopoulos had previously denounced one of the Greek paintings in Parliament, claiming it was offensive to Orthodox Christianity, particularly its depiction of the Virgin Mary and Christ.

"I took down four icons, four blasphemous icons, and in two of those ... the glass pane broke, nothing else," Papadopoulos told reporters after his release according to reports from Kathimerini and AP.

He said the works "insult the Virgin Mary, St George ... the archangels that we in our homes were taught to worship and respect."

Greece's Culture Ministry said that it acts "with the aim of protecting the country's cultural and artistic heritage in general" and that it "never engages in acts of censorship."

In a statement issued after the attack, the gallery's board of directors said it "unreservedly condemn(s) every act of vandalism, violence and censorship which violate the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression."

The Niki (Greek for Victory) party was founded in 2019 and first entered the Greek Parliament in 2023, promoting a blend of Orthodox Christian traditionalism and nationalism.

Currently it holds 10 seats in the country's 300-member parliament.