Greek Church leader wants vote if separation from state mooted [Orthodox Church & Greek govt.]

FOCUS Information Agency ^ | 9 November 2008 | FOCUS News Agency

[Alex Murphy]

Athens. The head of the Greek Orthodox Church said Sunday that any move for a separation of Church and State should be subject to a popular referendum, AFP informed.

"In the event of such a separation, who should decide: we or the people?" Archbishop Ieronymos said in a regional television interview.

"The people will be informed and will make their view known in a referendum, it's simple: and then we shall all be obliged to follow their decision."

Earlier in the week the archbishop had made it clear that any initiative for a separation would never come from the Church.

The issue is a taboo subject in Greece where 90 percent of the population belong to the Orthodox Church, which enjoys considerable influence in public life.

But its image has been damaged recently by a scandal involving a real estate deal between the State and the self-governing monks of Mount Athos, which has also shaken the conservative government.

Ieronymos, 70, took over as the head of the Orthodox Church in February and is seen as moderate and open to ideas, whereas his predecessor Christodoulos was a conservative figure.

[longtermmemmory]

the actual religious uniformity should be MORE than 90%.

This is actually a CONSTITUTIONAL change for the Greeks because their Greek Orthodox faith is ACTUALLY INCORPORTATED in their consititution.

They have freedom of religion but from an institutionalized christian baseline.

It is worth noting religious holidays are treated as bank holidays.

[NYer]

Ping!