Religion in Greece
Encyclopedia
Among religions in Greece, the largest denomination is the Greek Orthodox Church, which represents the majority of the population and which is constitutionally recognised as the "prevailing religion" of Greece
(making it one of the few European countries with a state religion
). Other major religions include Catholicism, Islam and Protestantism.
According to a 2005 Eurobarometer Poll
, 81% of Greek citizens believe that there is a God, whereas 16% believed in some sort of spirit or life force and 3% responded that they did not believe there is any sort of God, spirit or life force. According to a more recent survey (April 2011) conducted by Kapa Research (a major Greek polling firm) at the request of To Vima
newspaper, asking Greek citizens whether they believed in God or not, 56.3% answered "yes", 20% answered "probably yes", 7.7% answered "probably no" and 13% answered "no".
, a member of the Eastern Orthodox Communion, is accorded the status of "prevailing religion" in Greece's constitution
, and Greece is the only country in the world where an Eastern Orthodox Church is clearly recognized as a state religion
. Its members comprise between 95% and 98% of the population, although recent surveys on the religiosity of Greek citizens seem to contradict these numbers.
The status of the Orthodox church as the "prevailing religion" is largely based on the role the church played for the preservation of the Greek nation through the years of the Ottoman Empire
but also for the role the church played in the Greek War of Independence
. As a result, many attribute to the modern Greek nation an ethnoreligious
identity, though granted not as strong as it exists say, in the Jewish nation.
The Church of Greece is largely exempt from taxes, compared to other religious organizations. Furthermore, the mainstream Orthodox clergy's salaries and pensions are being paid for by the State at rates comparable to those of teachers. All Greek students in primary and secondary schools in Greece attend Christian Orthodox instruction, although there is an exemption system for students who do not want to attend, as long as the exemption is requested by both parents.
number approximately 50,000 and are found all over Greece
, the majority however live in the Cyclades
and the Ionian Islands
. The presence of Catholics in the Greek islands is a heritage from the time of the Venetian domination during the Middle Ages
. The Roman Catholic community has increased in size in recent years due to immigration and today number over 200,000.
and Free Evangelical Churches
, stand at about 30,000. Assemblies of God
, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
and other Pentecostal
churches of the Greek Synod of Apostolic Church have 12,000 members. Independent Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost
is the biggest Protestant denomination in Greece with 120 churches. There are not official statistics about Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost, but the Orthodox Church estimates the followers in 20,000.
are mostly of Turkish
origin though a community of Greek Muslims
exists as well. The number of followers of Islam is estimated to be at 97,604 people or 0.95% of the total population, according to the 1991 census. Immigrant Muslims are estimated between 200,000 and 300,000.
, Thessaloniki
, Larissa
, Volos
, Chalkis, Ioannina
, Trikala
and Corfu
, while very few remain in Kavala
and Rhodes
. It is composed largely of two groups, the Romaniotes
, Jewish communities dating back to Antiquity
, and the Ladino
-speaking Sephardim, who arrived from Spain and settled chiefly in Thessaloniki during Ottoman
times.
) congregations.
, Seventh-day Adventists
, Mormons and Scientologists. Groups that constitute less than 1 percent of the population includes Baha'is.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
(making it one of the few European countries with a state religion
State religion
A state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state...
). Other major religions include Catholicism, Islam and Protestantism.
According to a 2005 Eurobarometer Poll
Eurobarometer
Eurobarometer is a series of surveys regularly performed on behalf of the European Commission since 1973. It produces reports of public opinion of certain issues relating to the European Union across the member states...
, 81% of Greek citizens believe that there is a God, whereas 16% believed in some sort of spirit or life force and 3% responded that they did not believe there is any sort of God, spirit or life force. According to a more recent survey (April 2011) conducted by Kapa Research (a major Greek polling firm) at the request of To Vima
To Vima
To Vima is a Greek daily newspaper first published in 1922 by Dimitris Lambrakis, the father of Christos Lambrakis. It is owned by Lambrakis Press Group, a group which also publishes the newspaper Ta Nea, amongst others in its fold of publications...
newspaper, asking Greek citizens whether they believed in God or not, 56.3% answered "yes", 20% answered "probably yes", 7.7% answered "probably no" and 13% answered "no".
Greek Orthodoxy
The Greek Orthodox ChurchChurch of Greece
The Church of Greece , part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
, a member of the Eastern Orthodox Communion, is accorded the status of "prevailing religion" in Greece's constitution
Constitution of Greece
The Constitution of Greece , was created by the Fifth Revisional Parliament of the Hellenes and entered into force in 1975. It has been revised three times since, most significantly in 1986, and also in 2001 and in 2008. The Constitutional history of Greece goes back to the Greek War of...
, and Greece is the only country in the world where an Eastern Orthodox Church is clearly recognized as a state religion
State religion
A state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state...
. Its members comprise between 95% and 98% of the population, although recent surveys on the religiosity of Greek citizens seem to contradict these numbers.
The status of the Orthodox church as the "prevailing religion" is largely based on the role the church played for the preservation of the Greek nation through the years of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
but also for the role the church played in the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
. As a result, many attribute to the modern Greek nation an ethnoreligious
Ethnoreligious
An ethnoreligious group is an ethnic group of people whose members are also unified by a common religious background...
identity, though granted not as strong as it exists say, in the Jewish nation.
The Church of Greece is largely exempt from taxes, compared to other religious organizations. Furthermore, the mainstream Orthodox clergy's salaries and pensions are being paid for by the State at rates comparable to those of teachers. All Greek students in primary and secondary schools in Greece attend Christian Orthodox instruction, although there is an exemption system for students who do not want to attend, as long as the exemption is requested by both parents.
Roman Catholicism
Indigenous Catholic GreeksGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
number approximately 50,000 and are found all over Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, the majority however live in the Cyclades
Cyclades
The Cyclades is a Greek island group in the Aegean Sea, south-east of the mainland of Greece; and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The name refers to the islands around the sacred island of Delos...
and the Ionian Islands
Ionian Islands
The Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese, i.e...
. The presence of Catholics in the Greek islands is a heritage from the time of the Venetian domination during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The Roman Catholic community has increased in size in recent years due to immigration and today number over 200,000.
Greek Catholicism
Catholic Greeks of the Byzantine Rite (Uniates) number approximately 5,000 and mostly live in Athens.Protestantism
Protestants, including Greek Evangelical ChurchGreek Evangelical Church
The Greek Evangelical Church is a Presbyterian Reformed denomination in Greece...
and Free Evangelical Churches
Free Evangelical Churches
Free Evangelical Churches is a communion of over 60 regional Evangelical free churches in Greece. The great majority of the churches has the name Free Evangelical Church. Free Evangelical Churches can be classified among the Baptist and the Plymouth Brethren churches...
, stand at about 30,000. Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, commonly referred to as the Foursquare Church, is an evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination. As of 2000 it had a worldwide membership of over 8,000,000, with almost 60,000 churches in 144 countries. In 2006, membership in the United States...
and other Pentecostal
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
churches of the Greek Synod of Apostolic Church have 12,000 members. Independent Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost
Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost
The Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost is the biggest Greek pentecostal church. Founded by Dr. Leonidas Feggos in 1965, it now counts more than 140 churches, and over than 20,000 members in Greece. The Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost has churches and missions also in Cyprus, Albania, Bulgaria,...
is the biggest Protestant denomination in Greece with 120 churches. There are not official statistics about Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost, but the Orthodox Church estimates the followers in 20,000.
Islam
Indigenous Turks and Muslims in GreeceTurks of Western Thrace
Turks of Western Thrace are ethnic Turks who live in Western Thrace, in the north-eastern part of Greece.According to the Greek census of 1991, there were approximately 50,000 Turks in Western Thrace, out of the approximately 98,000 strong Muslim minority of Greece...
are mostly of Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
origin though a community of Greek Muslims
Greek Muslims
Greek Muslims, also known as Greek-speaking Muslims, are Muslims of Greek ethnic origin, nowadays found mainly in Turkey, although migrations to Lebanon and Syria have been reported. Historically, Greek Orthodoxy has been associated with being Romios, i.e...
exists as well. The number of followers of Islam is estimated to be at 97,604 people or 0.95% of the total population, according to the 1991 census. Immigrant Muslims are estimated between 200,000 and 300,000.
Judaism
The Jewish community in Greece currently amounts to roughly 5,500 people, concentrated mainly in AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
, Volos
Volos
Volos is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about 326 km north of Athens and 215 km south of Thessaloniki...
, Chalkis, Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
, Trikala
Trikala
Trikala is a city in northwestern Thessaly, Greece. It is the capital of the Trikala peripheral unit, and is located NW of Athens, NW, of Karditsa, E of Ioannina and Metsovo, S of Grevena, SW of Thessaloniki, and W of Larissa...
and Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, while very few remain in Kavala
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
and Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
. It is composed largely of two groups, the Romaniotes
Romaniotes
The Romaniotes or Romaniots are a Jewish population who have lived in the territory of today's Greece and neighboring areas with large Greek populations for more than 2,000 years. Their languages were Yevanic, a Greek dialect, and Greek. They derived their name from the old name for the people...
, Jewish communities dating back to Antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
, and the Ladino
Ladino
Ladino may refer to:*Ladino is the name used primarily in Israel for Judaeo-Spanish, a Sephardic language, primarily spoken among Sephardic Jews, or for the written form used in religious texts and translations; compare to Ashkenazic Jews' language, Yiddish*Ladino is also used for the variety of...
-speaking Sephardim, who arrived from Spain and settled chiefly in Thessaloniki during Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
times.
Hellenic Neopaganism
About 2,000 people are members of Hellenic Neopaganism (DodekatheicTwelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
) congregations.
Other faiths
Other minor faiths in Greece include Jehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
, Seventh-day Adventists
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, Mormons and Scientologists. Groups that constitute less than 1 percent of the population includes Baha'is.
See also
- Timeline of Orthodoxy in GreeceTimeline of Orthodoxy in GreeceThis is a timeline of the presence of Orthodoxy in Greece. The history of Greece traditionally encompasses the study of the Greek people, the areas they ruled historically, as well as the territory now composing the modern state of Greece....
- Greek Evangelical ChurchGreek Evangelical ChurchThe Greek Evangelical Church is a Presbyterian Reformed denomination in Greece...
- Religion by country