written by the Revd Mary Vickers
Greece occupies the southernmost part of Balkan peninsula in SE Europe , plus an archipelago of over 2,000 islands in the Mediterranean , Aegean and Ionian Seas , the largest of which is Crete . Although only 227 of the islands are inhabited, with only 78 having more than 100 inhabitants, they constitute around 20% of the total 131,940 sq km land area. Nearly four centuries of Turkish rule ended in 1829 when Greece achieved its independence from the Ottoman Empire . Following Germany ’s occupation of Greece in World War II, civil war broke out between supporters of the king and Communist rebels. Democratic elections and a referendum in 1974 created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. Civil war and military dictatorships have been part of Greece ’s recent history, as has tension with neighbouring Turkey , particularly over Cyprus . However, shared earthquake experiences in 1999 have significantly reduced tensions between these two NATO members. Greece joined the European Union in 1981.
Greece was slow to recover from World War II, and remained one of Europe ’s poorest countries; but recent years have seen economic and social change. The financial crisis of the late 2000s hit hard, as the legacy of high public spending and widespread tax evasion combined with the credit crunch and the resulting recession left the nation with a crippling debt burden. This was the first challenge for Prime Minister Papandreou after his election in 2009. He announced austerity measures but in recent months Greece came close to being unable to meet its debt repayments. Its fellow eurozone nations agreed an unprecedented $146.2bn package to rescue its teetering economy. The main condition attached to the loan - drastic cuts in public spending and tax hikes - has led to the current social unrest and instability.
Greece was the first European country to ever hear the gospel, when Paul took his second missionary journey. Today it is a predominantly Christian country with 98% of the 10.75million population professing Christianity. There is a small Muslim minority of around 200,000 people, and a tiny Jewish community. Athens is said to be the only EU capital without a purpose-built place of Muslim worship. Plans to build one were put forward in 2006, but they have yet to come to fruition and Muslims meet in several makeshift mosques. Most Christians belong to the Greek Orthodox Church. Recognised and legally protected by the state as the dominant and established religion, it is at the heart of Greek culture and identity, and plays a greater role in political, civic and government affairs than in many countries. This means that other expressions of Christianity can be perceived as a threat, despite the constitution removing some of the discriminatory legislation against non-Orthodox bodies. ( Greece and Russia are the only countries to have such a great proportion of people that belong to the Orthodox Church.) Although tensions are still evident on occasions, the gradually lessening restrictions on religious minorities are welcomed by many. Evangelical mission work started in 1858, and partly gave birth to the Greek Evangelical Church . Current membership is around 5000 people in 33 congregations. Less than 1% of Christians are Roman Catholic and around 0.5% Anglican, with the latter belonging to the
Pray for: President Karolos Papoulias & PM George Papandreou at this time of financial crisis and civil unrest; those who’re suffering at this time - the injured, bereaved, unemployed, homeless, those struggling with poverty; other countries who may be affected; complete religious freedom & an end to prejudice; and for the churches’ response to the current crisis, both pastoral and political.
Information compiled in May 2010 from various sources, by the Revd Mary J Vickers, from who further information may be available. Contact her by Email at: mpvmailbox-wcf@yahoo.co.uk ‘World Church Focus’ is produced as a resource for local churches, and is partly funded by ‘Christians Aware’ (www.christiansaware.co.uk). Articles can be reproduced in church magazines, prayer letters, sermons, etc, but wider use needs permission from the Revd Mary J Vickers who owns the copyright
