Overview
Christianity in Greece
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Christianity was preached in Greece in the first cent., principally by St Paul. In the Iconoclastic Controversy the Greeks stood firm in the cause of the images. During the Frankish occupation from 1204 onwards, though the Church was subject to a RC archbishop, it retained its E. character and its hold on the people. When the Turks became masters of Greece in the 15th cent., they favoured the Greek clergy. In the War of Independence it was Abp. Germanus of Patras who raised the standard of revolt in 1821. The Greek Church asserted its independence from Constantinople in 1833 and was formally recognized as autocephalous in 1850. The clergy are paid by the State, but since 1974 Church-State links have been weakened. See also Orthodox Church.
Subjects: Religion
