Church of Greece - Prevailing Religion of Greece

Prevailing Religion of Greece

The Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ is established by the Greek constitution as the "prevailing" religion of Greece. In return for having granted a portion of its estates to the newly independent Hellenic republic in 1821, the mainstream Orthodox clergy's salaries and pensions are being paid for by the State at rates comparable to those of teachers. The Church had compensated the State by a tax of 35% on ordinary revenues of the Church but Law 3220/2004 in 2004 abolished this tax. By virtue of its status as the prevailing religion, the canon law of the Church is recognized by the Greek government in matters pertaining to church administration. This is governed by the "Constitution of the Church of Greece", which has been voted by Parliament into law. Religious marriages and baptisms are legally equivalent to their civil counterparts and the relevant certificates are issued by officiating clergy. All Greek Orthodox students in primary and secondary schools in Greece attend religious instruction. Liaisons between church and state are handled by the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs.