Greece Religion

Christianity in Greece dates to the AD first century. The Apostle Paul and other missionaries were the first to spread Christianity and establish Christian communities in cities in Greece and Asia Minor. Five of Paul’s epistles (letters), which eventually formed part of the New Testament, were addressed to these new Christian communities. By the 4th century, the Christians had escaped persecution and the Church was well established throughout the Mediterranean. After the 11th-century Great Schism , Greek churches became part of Eastern Christianity, centered at the Patriarchate of Constantinople. A member of the family of Orthodox Churches, the Church of Greece received autocephalous status in 1850, meaning that its head bishop no longer would be required to report to any higher-ranking official. The Church is still under the spiritual guidance of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople. The Church of Crete, the dioceses of some Greek islands, and the dioceses in Northern Greece remain a part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but the Church of Cyprus has been autocephalous since the 4th century.

The Orthodox Church of Greece is the preeminent religious body in the country today. Over 90% of the population of Greece is baptized. There are hundreds of monastic communities, the most prominent of which are located on the highly-regulated Mount Athos Peninsula. Orthodox doctrine in the Church of Greece centers on Jesus and his Gospel. Orthodox Christianity, which takes its name from the Greek “orthos” meaning “true” and “doxa” meaning “belief,” affirms a loving God who entered into this life in the person of Jesus. Honored as Lord and Savior, Christ revealed the one God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: the Holy Trinity. The Church celebrates these beliefs in worship during the service of the Divine Liturgy. Faith is also expressed in scripture and tradition, which includes the veneration of icons, prayers, a rich history of rituals and customs, and the Ecumenical Councils. Because of their religious example, the saints are greatly honored.

Turf Wars

For nearly two centuries, the structural arrangement between the Church of Greece and the Patriarchate of Constantinople has remained peaceful but tense. The Church of Greece’s boundaries do not line up with those of the Greek state, and many believe that the Church of Greece should encompass the country’s internationally recognized borders. Such sentiment crystallized in the spring of 2004, when territorial tension surfaced between the Archbishop of the Greek Church and the Ecumenical Patriarch. When three vacancies for sees (bishop seats) opened in northern Greece, an area under the Patriarchate’s control, 35 bishops in the Hierarchy (the full body of the Church of Greece) affirmed the Archbishop’s motion to elect new bishops for the sees. Such a violation of jurisdiction was not welcomed by the Ecumenical Patriarch, who threatened to break communion with the Archbishop. Though both sides eventually compromised, the significant eruption underscores the often uncomfortable relationship between the independent Greek Church and the central branch of Orthodox Christianity.

Other Religious Traditions

While Orthodox Christianity reigns in Greek society and the government grants certain advantages and support to the Church of Greece, the Greek Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and repudiates proselytizing. There are a few Armenian Orthodox and Roman Catholic communities, and some Muslim communities exist, mostly in Northern Greece. Before WWII, Greece had a thriving Jewish population, but only a few organized Jewish communities remain today.