The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece has clarified the details of the pay raise for bishops

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece issued an official statement clarifying the situation surrounding the increase in the stipends of metropolitans and bishops, which has sparked widespread public debate. In a seven-page circular, church leadership explains the reasons for revising the payments, citing the need to correct disparities that have accumulated over years of “frozen” salaries.

According to Orthodoxia.info, a wave of criticism in the media prompted the Synod to disclose in detail the structure of the new payments provided for by Law 5313/2026. According to the document, bishops’ salaries are now tied to 90% of the maximum pay level in the public sector. In practice, this means an increase in a metropolitan’s net salary from 1,933 to 3,185 euros. The Synod emphasizes that a significant portion of this increase—about 44%—is immediately returned to the state treasury in the form of taxes and insurance contributions.

Church representatives note that before the law was passed, metropolitans were at the very lowest level of the special pay scale, earning significantly less than high-ranking civil servants, judges, and even experienced teachers. In addition, the Synod points out the specific nature of social security: many bishops, despite having 30–40 years of service as clergy, are denied the right to receive full pension benefits or severance pay commensurate with their contributions. In this context, the Church views the salary increase as compensation for these gaps in social security coverage.

The official statement also highlights the historical aspect: the state’s obligation to pay salaries to clergy is viewed as a reciprocal measure for the expropriation of church property between 1833 and 1952. The Synod also added that many metropolitans use their personal income to cover the operating expenses of their dioceses and fund charitable programs, performing administrative duties without receiving overtime pay or compensation for working on weekends.