The Orthodox Church of Greece Holy Synod convened on 3 April. The meeting, chaired by Athens Archbishop Ieronymos, focused on ‘Macedophones’, who live in Greece and are members of the political organisation of a minority group that calls itself ‘Macedonians in Greece‘. The Synod decided to send a letter to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew following a request by the group to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the so-called ‘Macedonian’ language in an issue of Greece where there is still tension regarding the Prespes Agreement and recent decision to refer to Greece’s neighbour as North Macedonia.
The Holy Synod also decided to intervene in discussions regarding the revision of the Greek Penal Code, specifically in relation to repealing articles 198, 199 and 201, which concern blasphemy, invective against religions, and insults against a dead person. The Synod found that revoking these articles would have negative repercussions on religious and social justice.
The Holy Synod also benchmarked 200,000 euros to help 100 families affected by the fires in Attica ahead of the Easter holidays. The grants of 2,000 euros per family would help them get permits to help repair their homes in agreement with their local municipalities and other organisations.