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 Church of Greece | |
|---|---|
| Ancient Greek: Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλάδος Modern Greek: Εκκλησία της Ελλάδος | |
 Seal of the Church of Greece | |
| Type | Autocephaly |
| Classification | Christian |
| Orientation | Greek Orthodox |
| Scripture | |
| Theology | Eastern Orthodox theology |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Primate | Ieronymos II of Athens |
| Bishops | 101 |
| Priests | 8,515 |
| Monastics | 3,541 |
| Monasteries | 541 |
| Language | Greek (Katharevousa) |
| Liturgy | Byzantine Rite |
| Headquarters | Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens andPetraki Monastery,Athens,Greece |
| Territory | Greece (except Crete and theDodecanese),Mount Athos, and Greek Orthodox churches in theDiaspora[1][2] |
| Founder | Dionysius the Areopagite (tradition) |
| Origin | Achaea,Roman Empire |
| Independence | 1833 |
| Recognition | Autocephaly recognized by theEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1850 (Tomos dated June 29, 1850) |
| Separations | Greek Old Calendarists (Orthodox Church of Greece) (1979) |
| Members | ~10,003,402 (inGreece)[1] ~5,250,000 (inDiaspora)[2] ~15,253,402 (total) |
| Official website | ecclesia |
TheChurch of Greece (Greek:Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλάδος,romanized: Ekklēsía tē̂s Helládos,IPA:[ekliˈsi.atiseˈlaðos]), part of the widerGreek Orthodox Church, is one of theautocephalous churches which make up the communion ofEastern OrthodoxChristianity. Its canonical territory is confined tothe borders of Greece prior to theBalkan Wars of 1912–1913 ("Old Greece"), with the rest of Greece (the "New Lands",Crete, and theDodecanese) being subject to the jurisdiction of theEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. However, most of the dioceses of the Metropolises of the New Lands arede facto administered as part of the Church of Greece for practical reasons, under an agreement between the churches of Athens and Constantinople. Theprimate of the Church of Greece is thearchbishop of Athens and All Greece.
Adherence to theEastern Orthodox Church was established as a definitive hallmark of Greek ethnic identity in the first modern Greek constitution, the "Epidaurus Law" of 1822, during theGreek War of Independence. Thepreamble of all subsequent Greek constitutions simply states "In the name of the Holy, Consubstantial, and Indivisible Trinity" and theOrthodox Church of Christ is established as the "prevailing" religion of Greece.
Mainstream Orthodox clergy salaries and pensions are paid by the State, at rates comparable to those of teachers. The church had previously compensated the State by a tax of 35% on ordinary revenues of the church but, in 2004, this tax was abolished byLaw 3220/2004. By virtue of its status as the prevailing religion, thecanon law of the Church is recognized by the Greek government in matters pertaining to church administration. This is governed by the "Constitution of the Church of Greece", which was voted by Parliament into law. Religious marriages and baptisms are legally equivalent to their civil counterparts and the relevant certificates are issued by officiating clergy. All Greek Orthodox students in primary and secondary schools in Greece attend religious instruction. Liaisons between church and state are handled by theMinistry of National Education and Religious Affairs.
Supreme authority is vested in the synod of all the diocesan bishops who havemetropolitan status (theHoly Synod of the Church of Greece,Greek:Ἱερὰ Σύνοδος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἙλλάδοςHierà Sýnodos tês Ekklēsías tês Helládos[ieˈraˈsinoðostisekliˈsiastiseˈlaðos]) under thede jure presidency of theArchbishop of Athens and all Greece. This synod deals with general church issues. The Standing Synod is under the same presidency, and consists of the Primate and 12 bishops; each members serves for one term on a rotating basis and deals with administrative details.
The church is organized into 81 dioceses, of which 36, located in northern Greece and in the major islands in the north and northeast Aegean, are nominally and spiritually under the jurisdiction of theEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Patriarchate retains certain privileges over and in them—for example, their bishops have to acknowledge the Patriarch as their own primate during prayers. They are called the "New Lands" (Νέαι Χώραι, orNéai Chōrai) as they became part of the modern Greek state only after theBalkan Wars, and are represented by 6 of the 12 bishops of the Standing Synod. A bishop elected to one of the Sees of the New Lands has to be confirmed by the Patriarch of Constantinople before assuming his duties. These dioceses are administered by the Church of Greece "in stewardship" and their bishops retain their right of appeal (the "ékklēton") to the Patriarch.
The dioceses ofCrete (Church of Crete), theDodecanese, and theMonastic state of Holy Mount Athos remain under the direct jurisdiction of thePatriarchate of Constantinople; they are not part of the Church of Greece. TheArchdiocese of Crete enjoys semiautonomous status: new bishops are elected by the local Synod of incumbents, and the Archbishop is appointed by the Ecumenical Patriarchate from a three-person list (thetriprósōpon) drawn by the GreekMinistry of National Education and Religious Affairs from among the incumbent Metropolitans of Crete.
As in other Orthodox Christian churches, male graduates of seminaries run by the church (and financed by the Greek State) may be ordained as deacons and eventually priests. They are allowed to marry before their ordination as deacons, but not afterwards. The vast majority of parish clergy in Greece are married. Alternatively, they may enter monasteries and/or take monastic vows. Monastics who are ordained as priests and possess a university degree in theology are eligible as candidates for the episcopate (archimandrites). Women may also take monastic vows and becomenuns, but they are not ordained.
Monasteries are either affiliated to their local diocese, or directly to one of the Orthodox Patriarchates; in the latter case they are called "Stauropegiac" monasteries (Stayropēgiaká, "springs of the Cross").
A split (schism) occurred within the church in 1924 when the Holy Synod decided to replace the Old Calendar (Julian) with a hybrid calendar—the so-called "Revised Julian Calendar"—which maintained a modified Julian dating method for Pascha while adopting theGregorian Calendar date for fixed feasts. Those who refused to adopt this change are known asOld Calendarists (palaioimerologites in Greek) and still follow the old Julian Calendar. They themselves have suffered several schisms, and not all Old Calendarists comprise one church. They refer to themselves as "Genuine Orthodox Christians". The largest group associating itself with Old Calendarists is the Synod of deceased ArchbishopChrysostomos II Kioussis (Kallinikos Sarantopoulos as of today). This Synod obtained government recognition as a valid Orthodox church, although it is not in communion with the Church of Greece nor with the otherEastern Orthodox churches.
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Greece was anearly center of Christianity. The ApostlePaul was involved in the founding of several early Christian communities:Paul's letters to the churches in Thessalonica, at Philippi, and at Corinth are included in the New Testament.Tertullian includes Philippi and Corinth in his list of apostolic churches.[3]
Upon formation of thePatriarchate, the Church was formerly a part of theEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Under Ottoman rule, the Muslims exercised no control over the church. With the establishment of the Greek kingdom, however, the government decided to take control of the church, breaking away from the patriarch in Constantinople. The government declared the church to beautocephalous in 1833 in a political decision of theBavarian Regents acting forKing Otto, who was a minor. The decision roiled Greek politics for decades as royal authorities took increasing control. The new status was finally recognized as such by the Patriarchate in 1850, under compromise conditions with the issue of a special "Tomos" decree which brought it back to a normal status. As a result, it retains certain special links with the "mother church". There were only four bishops, and they had political roles.[4]
In 1833, Parliament dissolved 400 small monasteries having fewer than five monks or nuns. These monasteries played an important role in preserving the Greek language along with arts and tradition through generations of monks.[5] Priests were not salaried; in rural areas they were peasant farmers themselves, dependent for their livelihood on their farm work and from fees and offerings by parishioners. Their ecclesiastical duties were limited to administering the sacraments, supervising funerals, the blessings of crops, and exorcism. Few attended seminaries. By the 1840s, there was a nationwide revival, run by travelling preachers. The government arrested several and tried to shut down the revival, but it proved too powerful when the revivalists denounced three bishops for purchasing their office. By the 1880s the "Anaplasis" ("Regeneration") Movement led to renewed spiritual energy and enlightenment. It fought against the rationalistic and materialistic ideas that had seeped in from secular Western Europe. It promoted catechism schools and Bible study circles.[6]
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The 20th-century religious revival was led by the Zoë movement, which was founded in 1911. It's a christian sect that deviates away from the principles of Greek Orthodox Church. Based in Athens but operating in decentralized fashion, it reached a membership of laymen as well as some priests. The main activities include publications and the nationwide Sunday School movement in 7,800 churches reaching 150,000 students. Zoë sponsored numerous auxiliaries and affiliated groups, including organizations for professional men, youth, parents, and young women nurses. A strong effort was made to circulate Bibles, illustrated novels, pamphlets, and other religious materials. A liturgical movement encouraged the laity to a greater awareness in the Eucharist, and more frequent Communion.[7] Seminaries were built in the 20th century, but most of the graduates entered teaching rather than parish work. In 1920, only 800 of Greece's 4,500 priests had any education beyond the elementary level. By 1959, out of 7,000 priests no more than five percent had completed university and seminary training. Monastic life declined sharply, although it continued at remoteMount Athos. Routine church life was highly disrupted by the Second World War and subsequent civil war, with many churches burned, and hundreds of priests and monks killed by the Germans on the one hand or the Communists on the other.[8]
In 2019,Christos Yannaras toldNorman Russell that although he had participated in theZoë movement, he had come to regard it asCrypto-Protestant.[9]
Head of the Church of Greece and of the Holy Synod isArchbishop Ieronymos II (Ioannis Liapis),Archbishop of Athens and AllGreece (2008–).
Notes
1 In 2010 theMetropolis ofAttica was split into 2 newMetropolises, the Metropolis ofKifissia,Amaroussion andOropos (temporary Vicar: the Metropolitan ofMesogeia) and the Metropolis ofIlion,Acharnes andPetroupolis (temporary Vicar: the Metropolitan ofMegara)
2 The Metropolis ofTrikke was separated from the Metropolis ofStagi (andMeteora) in 1981 but still bears the titular name "Trikke andStagi"
(under the jurisdiction of Constantinople until 1928, then under Athens; except theDodecanese)
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