How long can the cohabitation pact between Tsipras and Ieronymos last?

They were like two friends who had reached a level of familiarity that that does not need to be reaffirmed by regular contact: Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Archbishop Ieronymos spoke for a while during the holy blessing ahead of the reopening of Parliament in Athens last Monday.

Tsipras asked Ieronymos for a meeting in the coming days. The Church of Greece had yet to express its opposition to the bill on gender identity but Tsipras must have known it was coming, just as he knew the Holy Synod would veto any proposal to separate the church and state in the Greek Constitution.

These issues have weighed on the prime minister's relationship with the head of the church but it is said that they have not inflicted heavy damage.

The pair's relationship was of a deeply personal nature from soon after they met, exactly five years ago in October 2012. Tsipras...