Church of Greece Holy Synod unwavering in opposition to govt proposals over Church-state relations

Members of the Church of Greece’s standing Holy Synod on Wednesday decided to intervene and express the Church’s positions in the current debate over revisions to Greece’s penal code, and specifically to express opposition to a revision of the articles regarding malicious blasphemy, insults to religion and defamation of the deceased.

A letter by the Holy Synod will also be conveyed to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, His All Holiness Bartholomew I, expressing “concerns over a request by so-called “Macedonian-speakers” in northern Greece, with one marginal political group last month requesting that the Divine Liturgy in certain Churches be held in the so-called “Macedonian language”.

Another issue broached by Hierarchs is dialogue between the Church and the government over the lesson of religion at public schools and the composition of new textbooks.

By all accounts, the standing Holy Synod will not back down from its standing positions over Church-state relations, while conversely, the current government appears unwilling to continue whatever negotiations and initiatives – or worse, unilateral decisions – prior to general elections, which must come no later than the autumn of 2019.

foto: Christos Bonis

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