Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece accused Europe and the Greek government of working against the church. Referring to the recent government proposal to ease students exemptions from religious education classes, he said that this is just the “tip of the iceberg!”

The religious leader said that Greece’s “European friends” were taking advantage of the economic crisis and are seeking to alter Greek society, starting with schools.

“The tragic thing is that our enemies are no longer far away. They are inside our walls. We can see them,” he said in reference to social reforms that are part of the bailout agreement. He said that some measures are aimed at “devaluing Greek history and our traditions, tearing down the institution of family, enforcing perverted ideas, further degrading our language and showing obvious contempt for our centuries-old great civilization, our homeland, our faith…”

He called on Greek people and the Greek Orthodox Church to defend Greece’s traditions. He invited the state to work with the church and set an example for unity!