Catholic Church
in Crete
- INTRODUCTION
- Surface of the country: 132.000 sq.km.
Population: about 10.400.000 inhabitants.
Main religion according to Article 3 of the Greek Constitution: ‘’the Oriental Orthodox Church’’ (about 97% of the population) official Church of the State.
There is a Muslim minority of about 150.000 in Thraki (towards the frontier with Turkey), a small Jewish Community and various Protestant denominations.
Numerous sects of American origin are spreading rapidly. - CATHOLIC CHURCH IN GREECE:
-
- Catholic Greeks who number between 45.000 to 50.000 (0,5% of the population) are a religious minority and not an ethnic minority. Catholics and Orthodox share common forenames and family names, as well as traditions, especially on the islands. The contribution of Roman Catholics to neohellenic literature during the last centuries is not negligible.
- Foreign Catholic residents in Greece number more than 30.000. They are mostly, women in mixed marriages, who have married Greek workers or students abroad. Tourism is another factor contributing to mixed marriages.
- Polish Catholics actually residing in Greece number between 60.000 and 80.000.
- Catholic Philippinos in Greece number about 45.000
- Total amount of faithful: 200.000.
The majority of Catholics are, unfortunately, established in Athens, a city of about four million people.
A large number of Catholics live in the Cyclades, in Syros (8.000) and Tinos (3.000) which have entirely Catholic villages and parishes. There are Catholics in Corfu, Patras, Thessaloniki, Kavala, Volos and more distant islands like Rhodes, Kos, Crete, Naxos, Santorini, Samos, Chios, Kephalonia, Zakynthos, etc.
There is a Catholic church in Nafplion, another in Aspra Spitia (near the Aluminum industry of Greece) which might be helpful to the Catholic tourists visiting Greece on their way to Mycenee, Epidavros, the Peloponnese, Delphi and Beotia.
In addition to the Roman Catholics who represent the majority of the faithful, there are about 3.000 of the Byzantine rite and few hundred Armenian Catholics.The Catholic Hierarchy (Bishops’ Conference) counts six members:
- Archbishop of Corfu and Apostolic Administrator of Thessaloniki (northern Greece)
- Archbishop of Naxos-Tinos and Apostolic Administrator of Chios (central and northern Aegean Sea).
- Archbishop of Athens and Apostolic Administrator of Rhodes (central and southern Greece, and Dodecanese).
- Bishop of Syros and Santorini and Apostolic Administrator of Crete (south Aegean Sea).
- Exarch Byzantine rite (Titular bishop with a see in Athens).
- The Ordinary of the Armenian rite (Prelate Priest with a see in Athens).
There are difficulties resulting from the fact that Catholics not residing in Athens are dispersed all over the country (mixed marriages, assembling children for catechism, scattered groups of teenagers and young people and other difficulties for the ecclesiastical community). This diaspora, even in large towns, make the pastoral work of priests and religious very hard. The problem has heightened during the last two decades on account of the decreasing number of priests and religious.
In spite of the fact that the linking points are more numerous that the causes of division, Ecumenism in Greece is virtually nonexistent. There are some private initiative but no official contract between the two Churches. The Orthodox Church of Greece, being the official Church of the State, practically ignores all the other churches or denominations present in this country. According to the Greek - Orthodox mentality, to be a Greek citizen means to be Orthodox. Whoever does not belong to the Orthodox Church is considered a member of a foreign religion, because only the Orthodox Church is considered truly Greek.
The Greek - Orthodox Church (national church) wishes to have contacts with the other Churches or Denominations only outside the country’s borders.
The Catholic Church in Greece is viewed by the State as a foreign denomination and must cope with judiciary problems resulting from the existing legal deficiency on this point. In spite of the repeated efforts of the Catholic Hierarchy of Greece addressed to the government during the last 50 years, and the last decade in particular, the State does not seem willing to find a solution to the problems concerning the Catholic Church in Greece.
We must underline that the countries of the European Union, as well as other countries in Western and Central Europe, consider the Greek - Orthodox Church not only as an equal, but even provide salaries to the Orthodox clergy whose members may have foreign passports. However, in Greece, we are registered and referred to as Catholic Greek citizens.
The request of the Catholic Church in Greece is not for privileges or other special favours, but simply equal rights for Catholic Greek citizens particularly civil servants, as is the case for Greeks living within the European Union, who are predominantly Greek Orthodox. - Catholic Greeks who number between 45.000 to 50.000 (0,5% of the population) are a religious minority and not an ethnic minority. Catholics and Orthodox share common forenames and family names, as well as traditions, especially on the islands. The contribution of Roman Catholics to neohellenic literature during the last centuries is not negligible.
TOP
