MONASTERIES CHURCHES and CEMETERIES in Kefalonia

Do not be surprised to find nuns in the monasteries! Monasteries in Greece can be fore men or women and are known as either manly monasteries or womanly monasteries. There is a close connection between the Greeks and their Orthodoxy which is part of a long history. In Byzantine times the emperor was called God's vice-regent. Nowadays the official status of the church confers special privileges and obligations and the president of Greece must be affiliated with the church. Major church holidays are also state holidays and you will find that the top public positions are restricted to persons of the Orthodox religion. The church depends on the state for financial and legal support with the state paying for the clergy and subsidising the church budget and administering church property. Religious education is mandatory for Greek Orthodox children.