Church vs gambling and site of mosque
The leader of the Church of Greece yesterday called for a ban on gambling, saying it was destroying the fabric of Greek society. In a meeting, the Holy Synod, chaired by Archbishop Christodoulos, also discussed the government’s plans to expropriate Church property along Athens’s southern coast for Olympic installations. He also expressed the Church’s support for the building of a mosque but disagreed with its location. «The law allowing any form of gambling must be scrapped, to protect the family and the healthy fabric of society,» Christodoulos told the meeting, commenting on allegations of widespread illegal gambling. Regarding a draft presidential decree which the Church last Wednesday accused of trying «to pillage Church property,» Christodoulos said that he would be meeting with Environment and Public Works Minister Vasso Papandreou. The Synod also discussed the building of a mosque. The Church «does not object to the building of a mosque, but it disagrees with the site,» Bishop Anthimos told reporters. «It would be a grave mistake to build it near the airport at Spata.»
