Rights denied to Catholics” “

In receiving Christos Botzios, the new Greek ambassador to the Holy See, at Castelgandolfo on 2 September, John Paul II reiterated the proposal for “a lasting truce of all violence” for the occasion of the Olympic Games, due to take place in Athens in 2004. The ambassador received the invitation, and highlighted that “great attention” must be given to the “common declaration signed by His Holiness and His Beatitude the archbishop of Athens Christodoulos, by which the two Churches declare their will to collaborate closely on themes of mutual interest and express the hope that all wars and forms of violence cease for the occasion of the Olympic Games 2004, as used to happen in ancient Greece”. “It is also worth noting”, Botzios went on, “that the two Churches have spoken with one voice in favour of European integration, highlighting how the Christian roots of Europe must be preserved”. On this subject, the Pope recalled that Greece is a “country strongly linked to the Christian faith” and is aware how much that “religious heritage remains alive in the heart of Europe”. John Paul II again expressed his sadness and “concern” over the fact that “communities of believers are not specifically mentioned among those who will contribute to reflections on the Convention established by the Laeken summit with a view to a possible European constitution”. Addressing the Greek ambassador, the Pontiff added: “I am sure that your country can play an important role, in order that the religious dimension may be recognised and can express itself freely”. The presentation of the new Greek ambassador’s Letters of Credence, gave the Pope a chance to launch an appeal in favour of the Catholic minority living in Greece. “I would like to send a warm greeting to the Catholic faithful who live in Greece”, said John Paul II, recalling his historic visit to that country in May 2001. Greek Catholics, the Pope went on, “are few and scattered in small communities. They still suffer under a difficult situation regarding the recognition of their rights, in the nation and at different levels of society. I would thus like to take advantage of this opportunity to again call the attention of your government to the need of giving a juridical status to the Catholic Church, through a constructive dialogue between the leaders concerned”. In the Pope’s opinion, it is necessary, “as happens in all countries of the European Union, to cause the effective religious freedom of Catholics, like that of other believers, to be fully respected, granting dioceses and local communities the means necessary for their mission”. “In the audience he conceded to the new Greek ambassador to the Holy See”, says Nicholas Gasparakis, director of the press office of the Episcopal Conference of the Greek Catholic Church in a declaration released to SIR Europe, “the Holy Father found the opportunity to highlight the difficult situation faced by the Catholic Church in Greece and by the Catholic faithful, both from a juridical and moral point of view. It is the first time that the Pope has explicitly requested an improvement in the situation”. “In fact”, Gasparakis continues, “the Greek State still does not recognise the juridical personality of ecclesial institutions. The legislature has not conformed to the unanimous sentence issued by the European Court of Human Rights on 16 December 1997 that condemned Greece for forms of discrimination against the Catholic Church. Greek citizens who are Catholics, like other religious minorities present in the country, are still subject to the restrictive law dating back to the years of dictatorship 1939–1940, and unmodified since then. From that time on, the religious freedom of non-Orthodox has been severely controlled in various ways. Moreover, religion is still indicated on many certificates and administrative documents”. “The Pope’s Jubilee pilgrimage to Greece”, concludes the spokesman of the Greek episcopate, “has improved relations between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said regarding relations with the State”.