Archbishop of Athens and Greece, Ieronymos II said the Church’s property did not belong to the Greek state during his speech at the Panthessalian Pastoral Assembly. ‘The property is ours, it does not belong to the state, it is not for sale, and will not be mortgaged’, he underlined.

The official site of the Demetrias Diocese underlined the Archbishop would comment on the public character of the Church and how it would affect the clergy’s payment. ‘We find ourselves at a juncture where we need clearly identifiable distinct roles (between church and state)…we must reveal the corrosive work of this ideological platform and hold it accountable’, said Ieronymos. “The Church has always existed and will continue to exist to serve man’, he underlined.

Under current law the Greek Orthodox clergy is on the state’s payroll.