Greek Church’s ‘despicable’ demands
Relations between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Greece appear headed for rupture following the Patriarchate’s furious – though still unofficial – response to a series of demands by Archbishop Christodoulos of Greece. The leader of the Greek Church, which is autocephalous but junior to the Patriarchate, sent three letters in August which were read out at the Holy Synod in Istanbul yesterday. They demand changes to the Greek Church’s status, to how the Patriarchate administers parts of northern and eastern Greece and the reciting of the archbishop’s name all over Greece. These are the blackest pages in the history of the Church of Greece and the most despicable letters ever to reach the Ecumenical Patriarchate, a source at the Patriarchate told the Athens News Agency. An official response is expected later. [Who is this Woolsey?, the AFP quoted him as saying. He should be punished with a 400-year prison term if he had knowledge that bin Laden kept his money in Cypriot banks and never advised Cypriot authorities.]
