Athens, November 18, 2010
Senior clerics in Greece have told the state in no
uncertain terms, vigilance is required to prevent the
antichrist from making a manifestation on new ID cards to
be issued next year.
The authorities must ensure that the cards contain no
mention of the number 666, which in the Greek Orthodox
tradition is associated with the antichrist, the Church of
Greece said in a statement.
“In no way should the ‘citizen card’
contain the number 666, either in visible or invisible
manner,” the Holy Synod, governing council of the
Church of Greece, said after a meeting between canon
scholars, legal experts, computer specialists and
government officials.
“The Church is obliged to protect personal freedom
and defend the integrity of the faith,” the Holy
Synod added.
State planners have pledged to take the observation on
board. The new cards are to be finalised early next year.
The Church is officially part of the state in
Greece.
Frequently criticised as backward and superstitious by
liberal circles, Orthodox custodians strongly adhere to
tradition surrounding the number 666. The number appears
in the biblical Book of Revelation that is believed to
have been written by the Apostle John in the first century
AD.
Also known as the figure of the Beast, the number has led
ultra orthodox clerics to oppose the use of bar codes on
goods and electronic checks carried out under the
border-free Schengen area where Greece is a member.
A decade ago the Church of Greece had fought tooth and
nail to prevent the removal of religious affiliation from
the previous batch of identity cards issued to Greeks,
even organising a referendum on the issue.
At the time, religious minorities such as Catholics and Jews had successfully argued that the inclusion of faith on the cards could expose the bearer to discrimination.
