Greek Orthodox Church

Speaking to Greek media, the new Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, Kostas Gavroglou said he had the utmost respect for the head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Athens Ieronymos, Monday.

The new Greek government was announced by spokesperson Olga Gerovasili, Friday at 10pm. Minister of Education Nikos Filis was left out of the new government, paying the price for his open disagreement with the head the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Athens Ieronymos.

The head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Athens, Ieronymos gave an interview to Skai TV, where he dubbed Education Minister Nikos Filis “a problematic person”.

Speaking to Skai TV, Education and Religious Affairs Minister Nikos Filis said the government had no plans to hold a referendum on the separation of Church and State.

The Greek government has backed down from its initial harsh stance regarding the teaching of the new religious studies book in schools, after a two-hour meeting between PM Alexis Tsipras and the head of the Greek Church, Ieronymos, Wednesday, resulted in the two sides finding common grounds of understanding on the matter.

‘Our houses are ablaze and we are singing. The ship is sinking and is taking us all down with it’, said the head of the Greek Church during his meeting with the President of the Greek Parliament, Monday morning on occasion of the sanctification of the national assembly’s opening session.

Coalition partner Panos Kammenos has suggested he will block plans by the education ministry to change the character of religious classes in schools - a source of friction between the SYRIZA-led government and the Greek Church.

Deputy Education Minister Sia Anagnostopoulou has weighed into an ongoing row between Education Minister Nikos Filis and Archbishop Ieronymos, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church, over changes being introduced to religion classes at the country's public schools, saying that "it is a dispute that should end here, for all of our sakes."

Archbishop Ieronymos, the head of the Church of Greece, is a shining example - and an exception - of reason and tranquillity in the country's particularly toxic, current environment.

The Church of Greece, and by extension Greek society in general, are fortunate to have Archbishop Ieronymos in the position he is in today.

Greek-American TV personality Maria Menounos has been at the side of her mother Litsa, since she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Maria recently attended the liturgy at Saint Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Los Angeles and prayed for the recovery of her mother.