“The Greek state confirms its determination to support the mission and work of the Holy Monastery, to shield its interests,” the Minister of Education, Religions and Sports stressed, ” Sofia Zacharakiearlier today, Friday, in the Standing Committee on Education Affairs Parliamentduring the discussion of the ministry’s bill, which aspires to permanently resolve the issue of its legal personality Sinai Monastery of Sinai in Greece.

“It is a historical initiative that, for the first time in 15 centuries, attributes a clear legal status to a unique religious and cultural institution, with respect to its autonomy and ecclesiastical regime. We preserve a “treasure” of culture and spirituality that belongs to all humanity. We prove that Greece is a cradle of Orthodoxy, ”the minister noted, among other things.

At the same time, this bill is reinforced by the Higher Ecclesiastical Academies and Departments of Theological Schools of Higher Education Institutions by facilitating the study of foreign students. More specifically, it is envisaged that up to 10 candidates from the Patriarchate of Antioch, Syrian or Lebanon nationals, can enter any Department of Greek HEI on the proposal of the Patriarchate of Antioch and with the agreement of the Church of Greece and the Greek Foreign Minister.

“In this way the Greek state is helping the Patriarchate of Antioch decisively to improve the level of its priests and we are restoring a direct channel of communication with the Greek Orthodox of Syria,” Ms Zacharakis stressed.

“In 2021, for the first time, a wide house of the Bektashis of Alevites Thrace, a religious minority within the bays of the Muslim minority of Thrace, was licensed. Under Article 49 of the Bill, now the religious minority of the Bektashis Alevis Thrace acquires a substance to the legal world as a religious legal entity of Law 4301/2014, and Greece is taking another step towards the proper direction of protecting religious freedom, “the Minister added,” the minister is “the minister”.

Also, these arrangements are enhanced by the Schools of Apprenticeships of Clergymen (SMK) and the facilitation of the attendance of foreign students and students in the standards of ecclesiastical schools. Students and students come from the Ecumenical Patriarchate (Ecumenical Patriarchate, Patriarchate of Alexandria, Patriarchate of Antioch and Jerusalem).

In addition, the bill provides substantial reinforcement of the public benefit of ecclesiastical institutions.

Finally, the anachronistic legislative framework for the licensing of places of worship that was in force from the Silk period is abolished.

“We secure as a state the unkind exercise of the right to worship all religious communities and their members, through the formation of a modern, complete and coherent legislative framework for the places of worship of religions,” concluded Ms. Zacharakis.