Greece to ratify agreement protecting Jerusalem Patriarchate’s cultural heritage

A memorandum of cooperation between the Greek government and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem is being submitted to the Hellenic Parliament for ratification, with a vote expected next week.

The memorandum, concluded between the Greek Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, concerns the protection and conservation of the Patriarchate’s material cultural heritage.

The agreement was signed in June during the visit of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem to Athens.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the agreement as significant, saying that it demonstrates in practice the Greek state’s commitment to protecting the Patriarchate’s cultural heritage, which, he stressed, “must be protected, preserved and handed down intact to future generations.”

During his visit to Athens, Patriarch Theophilos III described the signing of the memorandum as a historic moment for the Patriarchate.

He said the agreement “demonstrates in practice the relationship between the Patriarchate and Greece,” adding that Greece “was and remains the nurturing mother of all clergy serving in the diaspora, and particularly those serving at the…