Minister, archbishop ‘share view’ on religious studies

Education, Research and Religious Affairs Minister Nikos Filis said Tuesday that he and Archbishop Ieronymos “share the same view” on the issue of religious studies classes at Greek schools a day after the deputy minister for education Sia Anagnostopoulou said the government would simplify the process for pupils to opt out of such classes.

Following a meeting with the head of the Church of Greece, Filis insisted that there would be “no unilateral actions,” adding that the roles of the Church and the state were distinct.

The archbishop said he oversees the Church with the use of the Bible, the Constitution and an ecclesiastical “charter” that has been law since 1977 and which foresees the cooperation of the state and the Church in offering Christian teaching. Filis described the meeting as “honest and productive.”