Special legislative regulation is expected within the first quarter of 2025.
The opening of 600 positions for Greek Orthodox priests in the diaspora is expected soon, Proto Thema reported. To date, a large part of the clergy abroad do not have a regular salary, insurance or pension and are instead supported by the Church of Greece and the Patriarchates or local Greek Orthodox communities.
The Greek government's plans have already been completed, and the special legislative regulation is expected to be implemented within the first quarter of 2025.
With this move, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is on the soft power offensive following the Patriarchate of Moscow's expansionism in Africa and the recent overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria, with the Christian communities of the Eastern Mediterranean country becoming especially vulnerable since Turkish-backed jihadists came to power.
By placing hundreds of clergy in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa and by strengthening diplomatic efforts to protect Greek Orthodox Christians in Syria, Greece is taking steps to become a shield for Orthodoxy in these regions.
The Hierarchs were especially pleased to hear that 600 positions for priests had been opened, which they had long requested.
The special legislative regulation, which is expected within the first quarter of 2025, aims to recruit 50-70 clergymen annually until the 600 positions are fulfilled.
“It is not only the liturgy, baptism or marriage – the Church in the communities of the Greek diaspora plays a different role. There, children learn the Greek language, it is the connecting link with the homeland,” sources from the church stressed.
Greece's role in strengthening Orthodox communities abroad
Mitsotakis is assuming a significant role in the religious-geopolitical world in the face of Russia's rapid expansionism in Africa to directly challenge the authority and jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa and to deal with the new reality that has emerged after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria since the conditions for the Greek Orthodox Christians is becoming increasingly difficult.
The dispatch of 600 priests to the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, as well as the intensification of diplomatic efforts to protect Christians in Syria, demonstrate the Greek government's responses to the situation.
Although the total number of priests who will be appointed mainly to Africa will not be particularly high, this specific decision still constitutes a move of strong symbolism for Greece, with purely political content. At the same time, Greece's desire to preserve Greek identity and Orthodox traditions becomes clear in the face of attempts to "Russify" communities on the African continent.
The Moscow-Constantinople Split
Greece's mobilisation to strengthen the churches of the Greek diaspora by appointing several hundred priests comes at a time when the tug-of-war between Moscow and the Ecumenical Patriarchate regarding sovereignty over the Orthodox Churches seems to be reaching its peak.
The point in time that triggered the developments was 2018-19, with the recognition of the Autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, who at that time responded to the calls of the Ukrainian people for the independence of their Church from the Russians.
The changes in Constantinople's ecclesiastical policy following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022 were not surprising.
According to sources cited by Proto Thema, the Patriarchate of Moscow's aggressive policy towards the Ecumenical Patriarchate and anyone who agrees with it began with the attempt to harm the Church of Greece itself, creating a rift "through ecclesiastical websites, which are over 90% Russophile and far-right, but also through Russian propaganda, which was channelled to a number of monasteries on Mount Athos."
Crucial was the role of Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece, who, instead of raising the issue of recognising the Ukrainian Church's autocephaly, said that the granting of Autocephaly is the exclusive prerogative of the Patriarch of Constantinople.
When the issue was raised in the Hierarchy, among the 82 participants in the Synod, three Metropolitans disagreed: Kythera, Corfu and Mesogaias. Since then, thanks to the delicate handling of Archbishop Ieronymos, the issue has settled within Greece, and the unity of the Church of Greece is secure.
Russia's attempts to impose itself on Orthodox communities in Africa
Russia's expansionist moves in Africa have been another factor in accelerating Greece's actions. Since the Russian Exarchate in Africa was established in just the last three years, Moscow has sent approximately 250 priests, covering 300 local communities in more than 30 African countries.
The intensification of the effort to impose its presence in Africa resulted from the Patriarchate of Alexandria's recognition of the Ukrainian Church's autocephaly in 2019. This was a surprising move since the Patriarch of Alexandria, Theodore II, studied in Russia, and many consider him favourable towards the Eastern European country.
However, he clarified that the reason for the recognition was deeply ecclesiological.
After the Patriarchate of Alexandria recognised Ukraine's autocephaly, the Russians, violating the basic principle of the Orthodox World that one does not establish Churches in the territories of another, established their own Exarchate in Egypt.
In addition, the Russian Church offered particularly tempting financial incentives to the clergy of the Patriarchate of Alexandria to recruit them—there is talk of monthly allowances of $1,000 compared to the $200 they receive and, in some cases, combining the money with diplomatic privileges.
The unordained priests
There are many unordained priests abroad today—over 50 in the Patriarchate of Alexandria alone. People who have dedicated their entire lives to serving even the most isolated church communities abroad have nothing when they return to their homeland.
Indeed, the majority of these clergy do not have a regular salary or pension and, of course, no insurance. Their survival depends on the church or monastery in which they serve, while they may be partially supported by the Patriarchate or the Church of Greece.
The exceptions are those in the United States, Canada, and—to a significant extent—Australia, as these are economically robust regions.
Taking note of the new data and deciding not to remain uninvolved in defending the Patriarchates, Greece is today recruiting 600 salaried clerical positions in the historical centres of Christianity. This move will also act as a 'bulwark' against Moscow's expansionism.
What does strengthening communities abroad with priests mean for Greece?
Weighing all the parameters, the government demonstrated determination in resolving many important issues. It is also important to mention that Greece does not distinguish between the Patriarchates and expresses its institutional support to all the Patriarchates and the Holy Monastery of Sinai.
In this way, Greece demonstrates in practice that it does not wish to be divisive. For example, the Patriarchate of Antioch is not excluded despite not recognising the Ukrainian Autocephaly.
It is worth underlining that the Greek Prime Minister was the first European leader to meet with Patriarch John X of Antioch immediately after the capture of Damascus by the Turkish-backed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadists and maintained continuous lines of communication with the Patriarchate.
Regarding the benefit, if the legislative regulation for priests abroad is passed, they will be essentially rehabilitated, and the certainty and security they will receive will raise the morale of those serving in communities abroad under adverse conditions.
At the same time, the entire Greek Orthodox Church will be protected. In any case, although it is not yet clear how much of a positive impact Greece's decision to support the churches of the Greek diaspora will have, it certainly highlights intentions to intensify Greece's presence throughout the Orthodox world.
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