Church of Greece

Four days after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that faithful at Orthodox churches will have to present a negative COVID-19 rapid test in order to enter a church, the Holy Synod, the Church's executive organ, announced that it does not have the wherewithal to conduct such checks at the entrances of Church's.

Metropolitan Ignatios of Dimitriada (Volos) is widely considered one of the most moderate and open-minded bishops of the Orthodox Church of Greece.

The son of a priest who himself was for years a priest in the diocese of Piraeus, Ignatios became known widely from his weekly Sunday television show Arhontariki where he discussed spiritual and social issues with guests.

Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias and Athens University Medical School Professor of Epidemiology Sotiris Tsiodras met today with the 12-member Permanent Holy Synod to persuade the Orthodox Church of Greece to join the state's massive vaccination push to build a wall of immunity by the end of August.

A Greek Orthodox priest who had reportedly just been defrocked in a Church Court at Athens' Petraki Monastery threw acid at and injured six of the Metropolitan bishops who sat on the Synodal Court.

Archbishop Ieronymos on Tuesday called on all Metropolitans, the heads of ecclesiastical districts, to help ensure the diligent observance of all health safety restrictions during Epiphany Day church services on Wednesday.

The Church of Greece must "take responsibility" for its decisions and "contribute to the great effort to contain the impact of the pandemic," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is quoted as telling Archbishop Ieronymos on Tuesday.

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will be presiding over the swearing-in of the country's new cabinet members on Tuesday. Due to coronavirus concerns, the newly appointed ministers and deputies will be sworn in, in separate groups, starting at 11 a.m.

The Metropolitan Bishop of Kastoria, Seraphim, died from complications caused by Covid-19 at the age of 61 on Tuesday, becoming the second senior Greek cleric to succumb to the virus.

Seraphim tested positive in early December but as his health deteriorated, he was admitted to the 424 General Military Hospital of Thessaloniki, where he was intubated on December 20.

Tension has been rising in the ranks of the Holy Synod over the Church of Greece's stance towards coronavirus-related restrictions, with several bishops accusing its leadership of being "too mild" in its response to the continued lockdown on churches.

The health condition of the head of the Orthodox Church of Greece, Archbishop Ieronymos, was described as "satisfactory" in a medical update issued by Athens' Evangelismos Hospital on Wednesday.

The 82-year-old archbishop was hospitalized in an augmented care unit of the hospital after being diagnosed with Covid-19 on November 19.