One of the second Tsipras government’s first measures, a seemingly innocuous change in the exemption rule for school religious studies classes, has caused the first full-blown reaction — and that’s before any of the “tax raid” measures come into effect next month.

An announcement by the newly sworn-in deputy education minister that from now on pupils need only to verbally express their intent to skip the specific subject — instead of the previous procedure whereby a written application was submitted — generated a quick rebuke by the head of the powerful Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece, other top ecclesiastical leaders as well as theologians, who teach most of the classes.

In fact, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymous, has booked a meeting with new Education Minister Nikos Fylis on Tuesday, with talks expected to focus almost exclusively on the decision.

The furor began after deputy minister Sia Anagnostopoulou referred to the change in statements to the pro-SYRIZA radio station “Sto Kokkino”, saying the procedure would be simplified with the elimination of the written statement by at least one parent or guardian.