Preliminary Agreement Reached For Church of Greece Clergy To Lose Civil Servant Status

Reuters reports that in Greece on Tuesday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Archbishop Ieronymos of the Church of Greece reached a preliminary agreement to end the civil servant status of priests and auxiliary staff. Some 10,000 members of the clergy will no longer be paid directly by the government. Instead the government will annually transfer a subsidy to a special church fund for the payment of salaries. The agreement also contemplates settlement of a long-standing property dispute between the church and the Greek government. The agreement, which creates a brighter line between church and state, must still be approved by the cabinet, parliament and church leaders. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]