21-11-16 Minister Gavroglou holds cordial talks with Archbishop Hieronmos

Education, Research and Religious Affairs Minister Kostas Gavroglou held a one-hour meeting with Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos.

The talks focused analytically on all issues concerning church-state relations. As the minister and Archbishop said, it was agreed to continue talks in the very good climate of today’s meeting.

After the meeting, Minister and Archbishop made the following remarks:

Kostas Gavroglou:

I had the joy of visiting his Beatitude. It is my first visit as Education Minister. We discussed very many issues, complex issues which we must confront. We exchanged books – and I thank him – and we are seeking ways to continue our discussions, always in the framework of and respect for the discrete roles of Church and State. We have much to do in a society with enormous problems, and we consider the social role of the Church as a given. Certainly, the state also has to address a nexus of problems. I thank his Beatitude again for the opportunity to discuss a huge spectrum of problems and for his kindness in exchanging views.

Archbishop Ieronymos:

For my part I would like to say that I am especially pleased by tonight’s visit, our meeting and talks. Tonight’s meeting or visit could be characterized as ceremonial, but we passed those boundaries a bit and discussed many issues.

We agreed that we have many and good things to do, and we believe that we will soon have the opportunity, when we realise what the problems are and which are the difficulties, to begin our work.  That is why I want to say a big thank you both for the visit and especially the joy I felt and saw from this communication and behaviour.

Journalist: We had in the immediate past the issue of religious education and church property. Which issues did you discuss in this first meeting?

Archbishop Ieronymos: Now is not the time to discuss the various issues. The basic issue as you understand was that of religious instruction. We agreed that we should begin from the point of our meeting at Megaro Maximou [PM’s office], where we heard the proposals and positions of the prime minister. We heard my positions and proposals, which coincided with those of the prime minister and other members of the delegations that were there in the group and discussion.

Hence, the issue begins there and we will continue our cooperation through committees.

Kostas Gavroglou:

You see every change in the educational system for any lesson is extraordinarily complex. There are some programmes of studies implemented in an initial phase in an experimental manner. There is re-training of teachers, evaluation, various committees and groups that express their views on these things, and a synthesis of all issues leads to the new programmes.

Let us not forget that today it is not only the programme that plays a role. There is accompanying educational material that also plays a role in the educational process. We live in a contemporary world in which educational material is multi-varied. Here we have a meeting that was held with the prime minister. There is a committee formed by the church.  There is a committee of the Institute of Educational Policy. We await the observations of the Church committee headed by the Metropolitan bishop of Hydra. We must await the comments on the studies programme and at each step we will take into account experience every day and at school.

I want to assure – and this was confirmed by his Beatitude – that the criteria must be absolutely academic. We are dealing with education and I think the huge experience of the church in this area will help the educational system and, I think, educators. I thank him again for this useful conversation.

Journalist: Do we know when the dialogue between the committees will begin. Will all the staff of the ministry and church sit and talk?

Kostas Gavroglou: First of all the committee is not the ministry’s. It is the Institute of Educational Policy. There is a committee created by the church and we are certain it will offer its views soon. Things do not close – circles close and re-open. We are engaged in a dialogue, and that is what dialogue is. In a dialogue one may say a few extra words – it is not the end of the world. I am certain, however, that our communication will be continual and there will be no problem.

Journalist: To clarify, since you spoke of an experimental level minister, will anything we know change? Will we take the programme of studies to the experimental level?

Kostas Gavroglou: No, no, I told you that an experimental element is part and parcel of the educational process. The programmes will be implemented normally, but they can be adjusted, and that is why we have committees. It is a dynamic system that can change mid-way through or at the end of the school year. There is no need to take such a dogmatic approach to issues.