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The Blessing of Freedom of Assembly in Greece!The Watchtower—1975 | September 15
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WHY FRONT-PAGE NEWS?
This gathering was front-page news because it represented a remarkable reversal! This was the first time that authorities had ever permitted Jehovah’s witnesses to have a large assembly in Greece! Previous governments had forbidden these Christians to have such gatherings, gatherings that in other countries are welcomed as normal events each year.
But for Greece, the organizing and successful convening of the assembly this year was an event of extraordinary importance. It meant a big change in attitude on the part of the government. And because this four-day assembly represented a milestone in Greece, it was given wide publicity by the press.
Why were such assemblies not possible before? Because the dominant Greek Orthodox Church had successfully pressured previous governments so that these assemblies were forbidden. Indeed, religious intolerance and persecution by the clergy was such that even the marriages of Jehovah’s witnesses were refused legal recognition. And the offspring of such marriages were regarded as illegitimate.
EVENTS LEADING TO ASSEMBLY
Months before the event, Jehovah’s witnesses in Greece decided to try to hold an assembly in or near Athens about mid-July. But since no such convention had been allowed by previous governments, there were doubts as to whether permission would be granted.
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The Blessing of Freedom of Assembly in Greece!The Watchtower—1975 | September 15
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The Greek Orthodox Church and related organizations began a full-scale publicity campaign of vilification and insult.
Metropolitan Augustine of Florina, Macedonia, said, as reported by the daily Athens newspaper Hellinikos Vorras on July 6: “It is imperative to convene the whole hierarchy extraordinarily in order to face social and religious facts of enormous importance. The Church will betray itself if it continues inactive. We very strongly protest against [the assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses], and wish to hope that it will be cancelled at the last moment; otherwise, by order of the Synod, all priests of Athens should get up to the steeples and mournfully ring the churches’ bells, all during this satanic congress. For, without exaggeration, something is dying in Greece, and what is dying is its soul, which soul is the orthodox faith.”
Church organizations followed the lead of the clergy. For instance, hundreds of thousands of handbills containing false accusations against Jehovah’s witnesses were distributed to homes and shops in the Athens-Piraeus areas. One handbill, sponsored by six religious magazines, contained statements such as these about Jehovah’s witnesses: “Agents of International Zionism are on the move with dollars of the American Jews.” “They . . . disown Christ.” “They preach . . . domination of Israel over the whole world.” The handbill concluded: “GREEK PEOPLE! Will you allow the gathering of such people?”
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The Blessing of Freedom of Assembly in Greece!The Watchtower—1975 | September 15
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In addition to distributing slanderous handbills, representatives of the Holy Synod took steps to try to pressure government authorities to cancel the assembly. To this end, clergymen and clergy-inspired persons dispatched thousands of telegrams to the Ministry of Religions and to the Premier’s Bureau.
WHAT WOULD THE GOVERNMENT DO?
The question now was: What would the Greek government do? Would it yield to the clergy’s pressure? Would it forbid a peaceful Christian gathering held in full accord with the laws of the land? Would the newly voted Greek constitution, safeguarding the freedom of assembly, prove effective?
Newspapers widely noted the protests against the assembly from church leaders and their related groups. Also, it was noted that Archbishop Seraphim personally pressured the Ministers of Interior and of Public Order to try to cancel the assembly. As the daily Vradyni observed, these objections were “being considered on the part of the Government.”
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The Blessing of Freedom of Assembly in Greece!The Watchtower—1975 | September 15
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Fanatical religionists distributed their slanderous handbills right along the roads leading to the stadium, trying to instigate people to hostile action against the Witnesses.
Other fanatics took out icons, such as the “crucifix” and the “six-winged cherubs” from a nearby church, and, under the leadership of a priest, arranged themselves opposite the stadium. They chanted, and made menacing gestures to the passing Witnesses. And all during these noisy demonstrations the bells of the neighboring churches rang mournfully.
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The Blessing of Freedom of Assembly in Greece!The Watchtower—1975 | September 15
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On the next-to-the-last day of the assembly, over 400 priests gathered at St. Irene Church. The Athens daily Akropolis reported: ‘400 PRIESTS CONDEMN ASSEMBLY—PREPARED FOR ANY COST AND FIGHT IF REPEATED.’ The newspaper printed a resolution passed by the priests. It said, in part: “We the Greek Orthodox priests, convened in an extraordinary pan-clerical gathering today . . . express our vivid uneasiness . . . The granting of a permit [for the assembly] in spite of the steps taken by the Holy Synod of Monsignor Seraphim, Archbishop of Athens and of all Greece, and of the Right Reverend Metropolitans, constitutes a hostile action against the Church, since [Jehovah’s witnesses] are not merely of another creed, but they are avowed enemies and persecutors of the Church . . . We forewarn the Government, the country’s Parliament and all governmental administrations, that we the curates, leaders, assistants and friends of our honor-conscious, gentle and pious Greek people, are ready for any fight and cost on all similar future actions of the Government.”
But, of course, unprejudiced observers could easily see that it was not Jehovah’s witnesses who showed disrespect for the government, nor did they persecute the Church in any way. Instead, the Greek Orthodox clergy clearly demonstrated their hostility against the government and its constitution, engaging in unchristian political meddling. It was the clergy that engaged in persecution, trying to prevent the assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses, by their slanderous accusations, and by trying to incite the people against these peaceful Christians.
The police acted in a very commendable way. They saw to it that the rights of the people were upheld. Commendation was properly expressed for this fine attitude of the Greek police. When a few disturbers caused some damage to the parked automobiles of several of Jehovah’s witnesses, the police suggested taking action against the perpetrators. But seeking to avoid any difficulty on this occasion, the Witnesses felt that it would be better not to take action against these lawless elements.
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The Blessing of Freedom of Assembly in Greece!The Watchtower—1975 | September 15
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Discussions were held everywhere about the event. Many honesthearted people expressed their disgust at the ugly demonstrations and improper protests of the religious organizations.
A well-known parliament deputy of Athens, and commentator of a leading Athenian daily newspaper, wrote: “I could not understand the unrestrained wrath of the [church] organizations, who want the heads of Jehovah’s witnesses upon a platter.” (Daily To Vima, July 16, 1975)
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