The salaries of Orthodox bishops in Greece are lower than those of Muslim muftis

A public and political debate continues in Greece over raising the salaries of the archbishop, metropolitans, and titular metropolitans. The government insists that the issue is about restoring institutional balance, while the opposition and parts of society criticize the initiative due to the difficult economic situation and the pressure on citizens’ incomes.

According to Vima Orthodoxias, statements by Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis have been at the center of the debate. He stated that metropolitans should not receive approximately 1,500 euros net per month and that their compensation should correspond to a level of responsibility comparable to that of a special secretary.

According to the government’s position, the proposed adjustment is a continuation of previously adopted measures related to church administration and clergy positions. Officials in Athens emphasize that the discussion often centers on gross rather than net amounts, which, according to government representatives, creates a distorted public perception of the scale of the increase.

Marinakis also rejected attempts to pit metropolitans against other professional groups, including doctors, teachers, and nurses. According to him, the issue should be viewed not as competition between categories of workers, but as a separate institutional adjustment related to the status of the highest church leadership.

Particular attention was drawn to the comparison with the salaries of muftis in Thrace. A government representative stated that, from the perspective of the principle of equal treatment for comparable institutional positions, metropolitans should not be paid less than muftis. Supporters of the initiative view this as a correction of a long-standing imbalance, while critics believe that comparing different religious institutions should not be the primary argument in budgetary policy.

Opposition parties point out that this is an inopportune time for such decisions. Given inflation and the declining purchasing power of a significant portion of the population, they argue that priority should be given to supporting broader social groups.

At the same time, supporters of the pay raise note that metropolitans perform a significant amount of administrative work: they oversee church structures, charitable organizations, social institutions, and projects in the regions. Therefore, as proponents of this position argue, the level of compensation should reflect the scope of responsibility and the status of the position.

According to the publication, opinions among church circles, political representatives, and citizens remain divided. For some, the initiative is a necessary measure to ensure institutional equality; for others, it is a controversial decision that should be postponed until measures are taken to support more vulnerable social groups.

The issue is expected to remain at the center of the Greek public agenda in the coming weeks. The discussion has already moved beyond the issue of salaries and touched on broader topics: the relationship between the state and the Church, the distribution of public resources, social priorities, and the role of religious institutions in modern Greece.