ATHENS — A government agency in Greece has ruled a person’s religious affiliation should be taken off state-issued identity cards.
On May 15, the Data Protection Authority ordered the elimination of religious identification from the identification cards Greek citizens over the age of 13 are required to carry. A card carrier’s occupation, fingerprints and spouse’s name must also be removed from the card.
Greece is one of the few European nations to require state identity cards and is the only European nation that require citizens to identify their religious affiliation on the cards, The Associated Press reported.
Leaders in the Greek Orthodox Church — the official state church — say they suspect the Protection Authority’s move may eventually lead toward the separation of church and state.
“Orthodoxy … is an indivisible part of our identity, and we want it written on the identity cards,” said church spokesman Metropolitan Theoklitos. “If the government accepts such a thing, there will be developments,” he warned.
Archbishop Christodoulos — leader of the Greek Orthodox Church — has demanded a national referendum on the issue, but government officials say that is unlikely.
“We are not prepared to lay down our weapons and surrender bound hand and foot,” declared Christodoulos.
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