7th CONGRESS OF PASOK, DIALOGUE ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE
7οΣΥΝΕΔΡΙΟ ΠΑΣΟΚ
3-6 March 2005
Anna Karamanou
Member of ESYAN – former MEP
DIALOGUE ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE
10 changes for a new relationship
Ultimately, once again, the saying “no evil is without its good” is confirmed. Thus, while until recently surveys recorded percentages of citizens over 80% who wanted no discussion about the separation of church and state, today, thanks to the decisive effect of the crisis, things have changed dramatically. The majority demands cleansing here and now, transparency, and a reevaluation of the relationships that, as it seems, fuel a peculiar parastatal system of power.
Thus, through the crisis that arose from the incredible entanglement of the judicial authority with the Church and the “pink” scandals, a dialogue opened for a comprehensive settlement of the problems created by the embrace of the state with the church. And while the government was “buying land,” the President of PASOK, George Papandreou, clearly raised the issue: the discussion on the separation of state and church concerns the reform of the Orthodox Church and the future of democratic institutions in our country.
The opportunity presented today for institutional reform is unique, as there are the conditions for a wide consensus, something that PASOK was not fortunate enough to enjoy whenever it attempted to change anything in the state-church relations (civil marriage, Tritsis proposals, identity cards, etc.). Certainly, the initiatives for institutional reforms primarily concern the government, which, however, appears reluctant and often through its officials is indecisive, ambivalent, and wavering. It is worth emphasizing that almost 90% of the changes relate to common legislation and can be implemented immediately, before the revision of the Constitution.
The 7th Congress of PASOK offers an opportunity for the submission of opinions and the elaboration of positions on serious issues. In this context, I present 10 proposals for the separation of the church from the state – beyond the constitutional changes (articles 3, 13, 33, etc.) which will be handled by the revising Parliament. These reforms are:
1. The oath of the President of the Republic: Despite the fact that Article 33 of the Constitution provides for an oath “in the name of the Holy and Consubstantial and Indivisible Trinity,” the new President Mr. Karolos Papoulias has the ability, invoking his conscience, as well as Article 13 regarding religious freedom, to swear that he will uphold the Constitution and the laws, before the Parliament. Moreover, based on Christian teaching, the oath is prohibited: “do not swear at all. Neither by heaven… nor by the earth…” (Matthew 5:33-37).
2. The imperial laws 1363/38, 1369/38, and 1672/39 concerning proselytism and places of worship: These laws, besides undermining the spiritual level of the average Greek citizen, clash with modern perceptions of religious freedom and the constitutionally guaranteed religious tolerance, as well as with the European Convention on Human Rights. The criminal denigration of individuals and groups based on the exercise of their religious duties tarnishes Greece’s image in the international arena, particularly within European institutions such as the European Court of Human Rights, which is often approached by those being persecuted. As emphasized in a relevant report by the Ombudsman, “even in cases where the defendants are declared innocent, the criminal procedure constitutes an irreparable disgrace in itself and places the exercise of religious worship under the continuous threat of judicial involvement and hardship…”
3. Civil marriage: In all modern democracies, marriage is primarily considered a political act that produces legal effects, while religious marriage is solely connected to the religious beliefs of the citizens and cultural traditions. Greece is the only country in the EU where religious marriage is equal and equivalent to civil marriage, thus turning priests into state officials.
4. The religious studies lesson in schools should be replaced with religious studies. It is unacceptable for the state to provide indoctrination for a specific religion through the school.
5. The ecclesiastical schools should be open to both genders. Based on the constitutional mandate and the principle of gender equality, women should have access to all faculties and all levels of education, as ultimately happened with the military academies.
6. The law 2623 of 1953 that criminalizes the violation of the prohibition of Mount Athos by women should be abolished. This law, which certifies in the most characteristic way the involvement of state power with ecclesiastical authority, today, with the full recognition of the equality of men and women, has neither democratic, nor legal, nor moral, nor democratic legitimacy. The European Parliament has issued opinions on this matter twice.
7. Blessings: They cause confusion of responsibilities between the state and the Church when they are institutionalized and conducted in the public sphere. The Greek Parliament is the only one in the European Union that begins its work with blessings, which should ideally, within the framework of a modern democratic multicultural society, be limited to the private sphere.
8. Cremation of the dead: Greece is once again the only country in the EU that does not have a relevant legislative framework, without theoretically prohibiting it. Here, the Church intervenes, violating fundamental individual rights and freedoms, resulting in those who wish for cremation traveling posthumously, usually to our neighboring Bulgaria.
9. Political funeral: Just like for the cremation of the dead, relevant legislation is needed here as well.
10. The metropolitan areas from public legal entities to private legal entities. Why, I wonder, should a ministerial decree from the Minister of Education be issued for the appointment of a metropolitan? In general, necessary institutional changes should be made so that the Church ceases to be an administrative extension of the state and the state has no interference in its internal matters.
Finally, regarding church property, the value of which no one knows, it is necessary to start a consultation between the state and the church for its recording, taxation, and transparent management.
Regarding the salaries of the clergy, if we take into account that the primary purpose of the state is to meet the needs of its citizens, then it should continue, since faith, spirituality, and religious worship are a timeless cultural phenomenon and a human need.
It is self-evident that the aforementioned simple institutional reforms need to be accompanied by internal reforms, so that the Church can again become a part of civil society and a dynamic center of spirituality and promotion of the Christian values of peace, social solidarity, equality, and social justice, values that largely coincide with the values of socialist and social democratic parties.
Anna Karamanou
Tel. 210-7775223, 6944-302328
Email: karamanou@ath.forthnet.gr
www.karamanou.gr