Metropolitan Barnabas comments on Ieronymos – Tsipras deliberations

Finally, the Metropolitan of Neapoli and Stavroupoli, His Eminence Barnabas, said last October’s joint television appearance by Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, His Beatitude Ieronymos II, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was a distinct surprise for the Church’s hierarchs.

The Metropolitan was quoted in an interview with the “National Herald” newspaper of New York.

Barnabas answered in the affirmative when asked if he knew of the previously unannounced meetings between the Archbishop and the prime minister over the issue of Church-state relations and clerics’ payroll regime.

He also added that he personally believes that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has the right to grant autocephaly to Orthodox Churches.