World Watch

GREECE: For a trial period which began on September 19, Orthodox priests in the archdiocese of Athens will read from the Scriptures in both ancient Greek, known as ‘koinè’ and modern Greek. Koinè, Greek as it was spoken 2000 years ago, is not widely understood among today’s young people and it is hoped that this initiative will allow them to participate more fully in church services. However, the prospect of abandoning koinè in favour of modern Greek remains controversial. As a compromise, priests will read in both languages until the authorities which govern the Greek Orthodox Church make a final ruling ‘in due course’. Father Christodoulos, head of the Church, has a reputation for religious conservatism, but has nevertheless introduced a number of innovations over recent years, mainly aimed at young churchgoers. [Taken from an article in Le Monde, September 8, 2004] (WR 388/WW1 - 10/11.04)