Archbishop insists dialogue on way religion is taught in schools must continue

The dialogue between the Church and State over the way religion is taught in schools must continue, said the Archbishop of Greece Ieronymos after a meeting of the Holy Synod.

Ieronymos said the dialogue must proceed on the basis of what was agreed in October with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Both the Church of Greece and Tsipras agreed to create special committees to debate the content of the texts that will be included in a new school book on religion.

“The dialogue will begin and we believe it will go well,” he said.

The education ministry had vowed to scrap the catechistic character of religious classes, with former Education Minister Nikos Filis insisting that they should become more like religious studies, triggering a storm of protests emanating from the Church and more conservative strands of society.

The controversy made Filis a persona non grata in the eyes of the Church of Greece, while Archbishop Ieronymos, described him as a “problematic person” and “inconsistent in his actions and words.”