Archbishop Ieronymos of Greece attends a meeting of the Standing Holy Synod in early March. [Intime News]
A dispute over salary increases for senior clergy, included in a Finance Ministry bill now before Parliament has triggered tensions within the hierarchy of the Greek Orthodox Church and prompted an official response from the Holy Synod.
In a written statement, Holy Synod spokesman Metropolitan Bartholomew of Polyani and Kilkis said clergy salaries constitute compensation by the state for monastic property removed from monasteries between 1833 and 1952 without “full and equal compensation.” He said clergy pay is historically linked to the use of church property and should not be viewed as preferential treatment by the state.
Addressing the proposed legislation, Bartholomew said it does not create a new privilege but restores bishops’ salaries within the broader framework of public administration. He also criticized reports citing excessive or inaccurate figures, suggesting that the facts may have been distorted, and called for discussion based on real data rather than exaggeration.
The statement concluded with an apparent response to public comments by Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythera, who said he would donate his salary increase to help provide housing for doctors and teachers on the island. Bartholomew said efforts to address people’s problems are part of the Church’s pastoral mission and should be carried out quietly rather than publicized.
