President of the New Democracy Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate yesterday afternoon at the office of the parliamentary group in the Parliament.
Elder Metropolitan Demetrios of Princes Islands, Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, Bishop Amphilochios of Kissamos and Selini, Metropolitan Amphilochios of Adrianoupolis, Grand Archdeacon Theodoros participated in the meeting on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Legal Advisor Dimitrios Malathianakis also attended the meeting. Secretary-General of the parliamentary group of New Democracy Kostas Tsiaras attended the meeting on behalf of the New Democracy.
The representatives of the Patriarchate expressed their concern about the amendments proposed by the government in both Article 3 and Article 13 of the Constitution. At the same time, the government’s proposed change in the payment regime of the clergy is a matter of concern for the Patriarchate.
For his part, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that New Democracy was opposed to the advancing amendments of the Constitution, pointing out that the remaining outstanding issues concerning State-Church relations can be regulated without a constitutional revision, but in consultation with the Church of Greece and the Patriarchate. At the same time, he reiterated that New Democracy opposed from the very beginning to the government’s attempt to change the payment regime of the clergy without any consultations.