Church to preach on use of new currency
Greece’s Orthodox clergy, more accustomed to denouncing the evils of globalization and steamroller European Union assimilation, will soon be addressing their congregations on how to use the new EU currency, following a decision by the Church’s ruling body yesterday. The Holy Synod agreed to join the government’s euro awareness campaign through weekly sermons, Sunday School and charity group addresses, while leaflets on the new currency will be distributed in churches. This followed a request on Wednesday by Economy and Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis during a meeting with Archbishop Christodoulos. The euro comes into circulation on January 1. But a Eurobarometer poll published yesterday showed that only 72 percent of Greeks are aware of the precise date, ranking among the lowest in the EU in awareness on the euro. Kaklamanis told Deputy Finance Minister Apostolos Fotiadis that both the constitution and parliamentary regulations forbid last-minute submissions of irrelevant amendments during legislative debates without the assent of the opposition.
