An Unholy Relic in the Greek Constitution? On the Peculiar Obsolescence of Article 3 para. 3

Blog: Verfassungsblog

Abstract

On a constant basis, church-state relations are a prominent topic in the Greek news. Currently, the new leader of the main opposition party repeatedly emphasizes that he strives to advance "church-state separation." As far as the desiderata for constitutional reform are concerned, relevant discussions usually centre on Article 3 para. 1 of the Greek Constitution (cited as "Article 3," but usually referring particularly to Article 3 para. 1), which defines the Orthodox Church as "the prevailing religion in Greece". Often, yet to a lesser extent, debates focus on Article 16 para. 2, which lists "the development of [...] religious consciousness" as one of the goals of school education. Still rarer, the debates cite Article 105 dealing with the monastic communities of Mount Athos. Surprisingly, Article 3 para. 3 of the Greek Constitution is barely ever brought up in the debates. Yet, precisely this paragraph could – rather uncontroversially – be labelled as utterly peculiar and, above that, obsolete.