In the 160 years since a Greek Orthodox priest first raised the banner of revolution against Ottoman rule, affairs of church and state in Greece have been closely intertwined. Last week in Athens the church, under the leadership of Archbishop Seraphim, again raised its standard, this time against the Socialist government of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. Black-robed priests joined more than 50,000 supporters outside Parliament, waving crucifixes and chanting, "Hands off the church."
The protests fell on deaf ears. Parliament passed a controversial bill aimed at stripping the church of control of much of its property. At stake are 325,000 acres...
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