Greek Orthodox Church Endorses Major Reforms

After the meeting of the 102-member Holy Synod, the governing body of the Greek Orthodox Church, in Athens from Friday to Saturday, a number of new measures were approved. The urgent major reform, called by His Beatitude Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, has the aim to ease the Church out of the recent scandals, misconducts and corruption among churchmen.

Christodoulos presented his proposals regarding the present crisis in the Church and his suggestions for dealing with it. The crisis is one of the worst in recent times and has seriously damaged the reputation of the Church.

The plenary session of the Hierarchy did however, finally approved a series of measures proposed by Archbishop Christodoulos. In the wake of the misbehaviour of churchmen that has unfolded over the past month, the first proposal is to form a council of judges, chaired by the head of the Church, that will look into charges concerning bishops and suggest action to the Church ruling body, the Holy Synod.

Members of the council, which must be approved by the government, will include one deputy president each from the Supreme Court, the Council of State, the State Audit Council and the State Legal Council.

Other measures, to enable improved financial management, were that bishops agreed to table annual assets and funds-source declarations, to seek state monitoring of Church finances, and to wear less ostentatious robes.

The tension in the meeting was increased when the Most Rev. Metropolitan of Eleia tabled a motion that His Beatitude Christodoulos, should resign. The motion was put to an open vote. 67 out of 75 Metropolitans present voted for the rejection of the motion, 4 Hierarchs abstained, 2 cast blank votes and 1 voted for the adoption of the motion.

At the end of the Session His Beatitude Christodoulos announced to the Synod the end of the judicial affair regarding the finances of the Church. This affair began in 1996 and resulted in the acquittal of the Hierarchs and other clergymen involved, both by the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece and by civil courts, which issued acquitting orders and decisions in their favour.