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Announcement of Holy Monasteries and Holy Hesychasteria: On the New Digital Identity Cards and the Citizen's Personal Number

 

Prompted by the legitimate concerns that have arisen among a large portion of our society regarding the mandatory issuance of new digital identity cards, we, the abbots of the Holy Monasteries and Hesychasteria of our homeland, after fervent prayer, thorough research, and deep theological reflection, issue the following Statement.

 

This Statement constitutes a necessary response to the questions addressed to us and to the anxiety felt by our brothers and sisters in Christ who strive to live faithfully in the world. Furthermore, it is deemed indispensable, since the State did not from the outset provide sufficient and adequate information to the citizens regarding the nature, the content, and the capabilities of the new identity cards, while the systemic mass media continue to mock, deride, and caricature all those who dare to express a dissenting opinion.

 

The new digital identity card, as it has been officially designed, will not simply serve as a document verifying personal identity, but will soon also function as a card for electronic services.[1] For this reason, it is presented as a valuable and practical tool that will simplify the citizen’s daily life and render the operation of the State more efficient.

 

However, the price of these advantages appears to be exceedingly high. As developments in digital technology progress at a dizzying pace and as States move toward a comprehensive digital transformation, the fundamental rights of citizens are put at risk, and the individual gradually becomes ensnared within the bonds of a digital system. The new type of identity card thus represents yet another step that may lead humanity toward a nightmarish reality.

 

1. Global governance

 

The need for electronic identity cards is part of the broader framework of ongoing globalization, promoted by the international financial system, various global organizations, and leading groups (the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Economic Forum, the G-20, etc.). These entities impose their political choices by exerting enormous pressure upon national governments, which in turn appear compelled to yield and comply with their directives.

 

In accordance, therefore, with the designs of global governance, and following the developments of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, etc.), societies are being increasingly shifted from a physical to a digital world. In other words, an expanded digital system is being created at a very rapid pace, embracing all aspects of modern human life. In such a digital society, cash will be abolished, only digital money will circulate, and citizens, in order to have access to services and goods, will necessarily have to have a digital identity/card and a personal number.

 

2. The European Regulation

 

The European Union, at least for the time being and according to the information presently available, has not required the mandatory issuance of digital identity cards for all European citizens, as the Government claims.

 

Regulation (EU) 2019/1157 of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union establishes the use of digital identity cards as travel documents, but it does not impose their use within the internal affairs of each country.

 

As is explicitly stated on the official website of the E.U….

“The Regulation does not oblige Member States to issue identity cards. Moreover, Member States will continue to decide whether possession of an identity card is optional or compulsory.”[2]

 

At the same time, the same European Regulation allows Member States to accept non-travel documents as means of identification, such as a driving license (see recital 12 of the Regulation’s preamble).

 

On the basis of the foregoing, and up to the present day, in several EU countries (e.g. France, Austria, Denmark, Finland) the issuance of an identity card is not mandatory and identification is carried out with other state documents (e.g. driver's license, passport).[3] The same applies in other developed countries of the world (e.g. USA, Great Britain, Canada, Japan).[4]

 

3. Alternative secure identity cards

 

It is true that the old-type identity cards, being obsolete and easily forged, must be replaced by others that are more secure and resistant to falsification.


However, such alternatives could be identity cards possessing advanced and strong security features, similar to those used in driving licenses and European banknotes (printing on special paper through laser engraving, complex guilloche patterns, multicolored security backgrounds, etc.).


Alternative secure identity cards could also include the newly proposed ones, provided they do not contain an embedded microchip or a Personal ID Number. The Greek Government, however, has chosen to issue electronic IDs in the ID-1 format, for the purpose of the complete digital transformation of the state and intending for the new identity card to soon function also as a digital services card.

 

4. Digital Identity/Card and Digital Wallet

 

Ever since the issue of electronic identity cards first appeared (in 1986), the people, foreseeing the danger of the erosion of their personal freedoms, reacted vigorously, thereby delaying their issuance for nearly four decades.


Today, however, due to the Government’s persistent tactics and the complacency of the citizens, the digital identity card has become a reality.

 

The difference between the new and the old-type identity card lies in the following: a) the integrated RFID-type microchip (an electronic device capable of wireless communication (not in the original text), in which the necessary identification data are stored), b) the machine-readable zone of the identification data, c) the digital storage of biometric data (a facial photograph and two fingerprints) and in d) the Personal ID Number, which is soon to be implemented.

 

In particular, the Personal Number essentially replaces all other personal numbers (ID Number, Tax ID, Social Security Number, etc.) and is assigned to every citizen for life, from birth to death, without changing in the event of loss of the card. It gives, so to speak, a digital entity to the citizen and follows him in all his activities. It is the key number for his electronic communication with the public and state authorities and, soon, for all other electronic transactions with systems belonging to private entities. Without a Personal ID Number, the citizen is non-existent for a digitalized society.

 

Through the microchip of the identity card and the Personal Identification Number inscribed upon it, the citizen acquires the ability to make broader use of electronic governance and to have easier access to digital services and benefits offered by public-sector institutions (the National Health System, Public Revenue Service, Land Registry, etc.).

 

Therefore, the new identity card, as it will soon evolve, will not simply be a public identification document, but will also be a card for the exercise of rights (in healthcare, social welfare, employment, education, etc.)… precisely resembling the Citizen Card that had been designed in the past but never implemented, owing to popular opposition and the annulment issued by the Council of State.

 

In a subsequent stage, through the Gov.gr Wallet application, the identity card will be digitally integrated into the smartphone, along with other cards, various certificates, and other useful personal documents.

 

Since citizens are now clearly being forced to abolish cash, in the near future all their daily transactions in stores, banks, public and private services, without exception, will be carried out by their mobile phone which will function as an electronic wallet.

 

Thus, the citizen, indeed, his entire life, will be in constant online connection with the digital system. Everything will be done digitally: comfortably, quickly, and efficiently, yet at an exceedingly high price.

 

5. Procedures that cause strong concerns

 

At present, however, certain unanswered questions remain, questions that from the very outset have generated a great deal of suspicion among many citizens and, at the same time, have revealed bad faith and a democratic deficit in the handling of the matter by the State.

 

A. Why did the Government, regarding such an important issue, fail to take into account the will of the people? In 2010 and 2015, public consultations were held on the citizenship card, and the overwhelming majority of the people (and on both occasions the percentage exceeded 90%) took a negative position; for this reason, the State was forced to back down. What has changed since then? Why was a public consultation not held again, as is often the case for other, less important, issues? Why, moreover, does the Government not admit its preconceived decision to issue not merely a new identity card, but a Citizen Card?

 

There was indeed inadequate information, lack of transparency, and secrecy. Half-truths were spoken, contradictory statements were made, and misleading explanations were given. A glaring example of this is the Prime Minister’s assurance, offered just twenty-four days before the issuance of the first new identity cards, that these new cards would not contain microchips...[5]

 

B. The Sole and Exclusive Purpose of an Identity Card

 

The sole and exclusive purpose of an identity card is the secure identification of the citizen, nothing more. It must contain only the essential information necessary for that purpose, readable only by its holder, and inaccessible to external mechanisms capable of processing or altering it.

 

Based on this self-evident truth, the Council of State, by its decision (2388/2019, Section 4), prohibited the state from converting the identity card into a rights card. It is not legal, according to the decision, to store in the microchip of the new identity cards data that “is not critical for proving the identity of Greek citizens”. Therefore, the prescribed identity documents cannot serve as cards of rights.

 

The Government, however, does not show respect for the decision of the country's Supreme Administrative Court. With a subsequent (17-2-2023) joint ministerial decision (see footnote 1) it clearly stated its intention to legalize in the near future the storage of other data (by unknown parties) in the new identity cards, so that they can also be used as transaction cards with e-government services.

 

The Government could, out of respect for the free will of the citizens, establish an optional rights card, separate and clearly distinct from the identity document, while at the same time avoiding the imposition of direct or indirect “penalties” upon those who might choose not to obtain it.

  

C. The Issue of Fingerprints

 

It is well known that in 2000, the fingerprint was removed from identity cards, following the opinion of the Personal Data Protection Authority under No. 510/17/15-05-2000, according to which the fingerprint (“marking”) violates the constitutionally protected value of the human being, since it potentially gives rise to suspicion of criminal activity (“marked”). Now that the fingerprint is returning, digitally, in fact, and in duplicate, why is this same public authority silent? Does it believe that the value of the human being no longer needs protection?

 

6. Electronic slavery

 

On the altar of the conveniences provided by the use of the new identity and the more general functioning of electronic governance, a part of one's personal freedoms is gradually sacrificed and one is led into a peculiar digital captivity.

 

A. Surveillance and loss of privacy

 

It is well known that each time a person acts in cyberspace in any way (via mobile phone, internet applications, electronic transactions, etc.), he leaves an electronic trace, a record that captures a specific aspect of his personal life (a personal datum).

 

This trace is stored as information in the electronic archive (database) of the service provider whose facilities the citizen has used. When such traces are combined, they reveal his behavioral patterns, preferences, and everyday or occasional activities, among others.

 

With the imposed and widespread use of the new identity card, the citizen will feed various databases daily with thousands of data points from his private and public life.

 

However, as part of electronic governance, these scattered databases are gradually interconnected and unified, resulting in a massive virtual “reservoir” containing an enormous amount of aggregated information about each citizen.

 

From this vast data reservoir, it becomes possible, using the Personal Number, to retrieve at any moment the citizen’s digital file, containing the entire set of his personal information.

 

… It is, therefore, a perfect electronic file, which will be constantly updated, automatically and immediately—since in the new digital world everything will be done digitally—for all our activities (what purchases I made, when I got sick and what medication I took, where I went on vacation and how much money I spent, which websites I visit on the internet, what books I read, which party organization I participate in, whether I go to church, whether I frequent nightclubs, etc.). The new identity/card, therefore, will be able to digitally capture our entire existence and faithfully create our personal profile (social, political, economic, religious, cultural, etc.)

 

This systematic monitoring of the citizen, this penetration into the innermost sphere of his personal life, and the recording of all his activities contribute to his complete control and brutally violate his constitutionally guaranteed individual freedoms and his right to privacy. Ultimately, human dignity is violated, whose respect and protection, according to Article 2 of the Constitution, must constitute a primary obligation of the State.

 

It is true that, to the extent that we use telephones, social media, and various digital applications, we voluntarily expose our privacy and personal data. Yet this is a matter of personal choice, which we can limit or suspend at any moment. The identity card, by contrast, is a mandatory state document that accompanies us throughout our entire life. Moreover, in the former case, any breach of personal data constitutes an illegal act, whereas in the latter, the State itself becomes legitimized to perform the same act, having first secured our consent through subterfuge...

 

B. The fate of personal data

 

Given the way the new identity card will operate in the near future, the citizen will be delivering all his sensitive personal data to the digital State, and it is as if he were surrendering his entire life. Nor will he be entrusting it solely to his own country, for, according to European Regulation 2019/1157, the new identity cards ensure “interoperability on a global level,” and the management of his data may even be undertaken by an “external provider” that is, by some multinational corporation.

 

Indeed, the landscape of personal data is shrouded in obscurity. To whom, finally, do these data belong? Are they stored only in databases within the Greek borders, or also in foreign countries? Who has the greatest degree of access to them, the state officials, or the private technicians who oversee, upgrade, and maintain the information system of the new identity cards? How are our personal data managed? What changes are recorded, and how could the citizen be informed about them?

 

How is it, finally, that the personal data of hundreds of millions of people reach the so-called data brokers, who profit from their exploitation? And how are these data then disclosed to technological giants and large commercial corporations, which also amass wealth by analyzing consumer behavior, predicting human actions, or even manipulating them? (It has been said that, in our day, the most valuable commodity in the world is not oil or gold, but data.) Do the governments of the nations, one wonders, possess the power to control the vast black market of personal data, or to tame the force of digital information for the good of humanity?

 

According to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Article 8), “Everyone has the right to the protection of personal data concerning him or her. Such data must be processed fairly, for specified purposes, and on the basis of the consent of the person concerned or on some other legitimate basis laid down by law. Everyone has the right of access to data which has been collected concerning him or her, and the right to have it rectified.”

 

Likewise, under the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, which has been incorporated into Greek law by Law 4624/2019, every citizen has the right to know what data of his are being processed, by whom and for what purpose, and to whom they are transmitted, whether to domestic or foreign recipients. He also has the right of access to his data, the right to rectification or erasure, the right to restrict processing, and the right to object to their processing (Articles 12–21).

 

All these rights, however, are expressed with considerable vagueness, and can easily be circumvented through ambiguous interpretations and legalistic maneuvers. In practice, fair and transparent data processing is not adequately ensured, and the citizen remains constantly unprotected, ignorant of information that directly concerns him.

 

Finally, it should be noted that, according to the same law (Article 38), any violation of the confidentiality, availability, or integrity of personal data constitutes a felony, subject to severe criminal penalties. Yet it remains doubtful whether such violations are actually prosecuted, or whether they go unpunished when committed under pretexts by the public or private entities involved.

 

C. The (in)security of identity

 

Finally, as far as the security of electronic identity is concerned, this is a myth. Everyone knows well that in the digital world nothing is absolutely secure. And it is indeed lamentable that, while there is widespread international concern regarding the insecurity of electronic systems, the Greek Government speaks only of the “security” and other supposed advantages of the new identity card.

 

The physical card itself, the visible component, may not be forged, but its stored data can be intercepted simply by passing near a hacker equipped with a reader and decryption tools (“identity theft”). This is why RFID-safe sleeves have become so widespread today, protecting various cards (credit, transactional, etc.) from such malicious interception.

 

In a case of identity theft, the perpetrator may derive considerable benefit at the victim’s expense, while the victim may suffer serious consequences for any unlawful acts committed by the criminal. Moreover, in the forthcoming upgraded identity cards, which have already been announced, a second NFC-type microchip will be included, one that a malicious digital intruder could read, write, or erase data from, without the holder’s knowledge.

 

Thus, whereas today the citizen knows he possesses a visibly stable identity, with the new electronic version he will live in constant uncertainty about the ever-changing content of his own card.

 

Similarly, the sensitive personal data stored in databases may be deliberately leaked by their administrators or may, after a cyberattack, fall into the hands of malicious actors, who might exploit them in various ways, for instance, to sell or alter them, or to blackmail a public figure or an unsuspecting, peaceable citizen.

 

To date, hundreds of thousands of cyberattacks, data breaches, and falsifications have been recorded worldwide, even against the most highly secured digital systems in existence.

 

A characteristic example is that of Estonia, a country considered a model in the field of digital applications. In 2017, the electronic identity cards of 760,000 Estonian citizens were deactivated, following the discovery of a security vulnerability in their embedded microchip.[6] This effectively meant that the state temporarily collapsed, and half of the country’s population was left without access to essential services and goods. For this reason, the Estonian Government sued the manufacturer, Gemalto, demanding 152 million euros in compensation.[7]

 

A similar security flaw appeared in 2018 in the microchips of 60 million smart identity cards issued in Spain, creating a chaotic situation throughout the country.[8]

 

Finally, in the summer of 2023, in the technologically advanced society of Japan, thousands of cases of personal data leaks and various recording errors were documented through the use of electronic identity cards, for example, incorrect linking of medical files and bank accounts used for state benefit payments. This incident provoked widespread public outcry and intense skepticism concerning the security and reliability of Japan’s electronic identity system.[9]

 

D. Digital totalitarianism

 

As national governments in Western societies continually slide into the restriction of individual freedoms, and as political correctness, wearing the cloak of a vague progressivity, legitimizes authoritarian methods and anti-democratic behaviors, citizens with elementary political awareness struggle for the immediate future. The abuse of the achievements of digital technology can become, in the hands of an arrogant power, an instrument of suffocating control over people. Unlimited possibilities for surveillance, mass manipulation and repression of citizens are created by the enormous amount of information collected, by smart identity cards, digital wallets, and also by advanced surveillance cameras, which are being installed at an increasing pace in major cities. It was recently announced, for instance, that 750 new cameras will be installed in Athens “for security reasons.”

 

Indeed, none of this seems distant or merely reminiscent of George Orwell’s “Big Brother.” Even in our own homeland, there have been many occasions when citizens have faced authoritarian and totalitarian behaviors on the part of the authorities, such as surveillance operations, wiretapping scandals, and even prohibitions and restrictions on Divine Worship, among others.

 

It is striking that the World Economic Forum, an international organization at the forefront of promoting globalization, does not hesitate to acknowledge the following:

 

“In cases where sensitive data are collected, there are risks of marginalization and oppression, with electronic identity being used to facilitate the identification, surveillance, and persecution of individuals or groups.”

(Insight Report, June 2023)[10]

 

A nightmarish example of digital totalitarianism is the system of strict surveillance and social credit evaluation currently operating on a pilot basis in China.[11] In the country’s major urban centers, Chinese citizens are continuously monitored by advanced facial-recognition cameras. All their daily activities, as registered through the smart digital cards, are recorded in detail and evaluated according to specific indices, which either add or subtract social privileges accordingly.

 

If a citizen complies with the state-imposed rules, he is graded with a “good behavior” score, gains privileges, and enjoys easy access to social goods such as employment, commerce, entertainment, and travel.

 

If, however, he opposes the norms established by the authorities, for example, purchasing alcoholic beverages or cigarettes, criticizing the Party, driving an environmentally unfriendly car, participating in “illegal” protests, or spreading “rumors” on the internet, he receives a low score, is classified as a bad citizen, his name is entered into blacklists, and the electronic governance system automatically imposes restrictions: on loans, business activity, his children’s education, and more.

 

7. International reactions

 

Across Europe, and not only there, individual scientists, various communities, and citizens’ groups have, from time to time, expressed strong concerns both regarding the mandatory nature of digital identity cards and the abolition of cash transactions, which, as one German economist aptly remarked, “secure for us the last remaining vestiges of freedom and privacy that we still possess.”[12]

 

Indicatively, we may mention the following:

 

In February 2023, thirty-nine prominent organizations, expert scientists, and academics active within the European Union submitted a letter to the European Parliament, in which they argued that “digital identification systems raise serious concerns for fundamental rights throughout the world,” and demanded that privacy and all individual freedoms be fully safeguarded.[13]

 

In the United Kingdom, in 2011, prior to the country’s exit from the EU, the Government of David Cameron abolished the electronic identity cards that had been legislated in 2006.[14] This followed five years of intense public opposition from all sectors of British society, politicians, academics, experts, organizations, activists, and others, through a variety of interventions, petitions with thousands of signatures, and public appeals.

 

The concerns expressed centered on the fate of personal data, the creation of electronic citizen files, and the enormous financial cost involved in establishing electronic identity cards. It is noteworthy that, during those five years, only 15,000 Britons chose to obtain the new cards.[15] Upon their abolition, the then Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, triumphantly declared:

 

“This Government has scrapped the expensive and indiscriminately intrusive ID card scheme, and has destroyed the national identity register once and for all, thereby restoring the civil liberties of our citizens.”[16]

 

In Switzerland, in 2021, following a national referendum, 64.4% of citizens voted against linking the national identity card with electronic governance and using it as a rights card, focusing their objections on the dangers posed to individual freedoms by the potential access of private companies to citizens’ databases.[17]

 

In June 2023, on the occasion of the forthcoming institutionalization of the digital wallet, twenty-four social and scientific organizations, including the Greek non-profit organization Homo Digitalis, specialized in digital technologies, privacy, and data protection, sent a letter to the European Union, expressing their serious concerns about the shrinking of citizens’ rights, the undermining of privacy, and the creation of an Orwellian model of constant surveillance.[18]

 

Finally, scientists of international standing and academics from various disciplines have, through numerous interventions, expressed their disagreement concerning electronic identity systems. Among them is Mikko Hyppönen, a Finnish cybersecurity expert, who frequently repeats in his lectures and writings the following striking observation:

 

“Even if we trust the Government today, we do not know whether we will be able to trust it tomorrow. Every right we surrender today is one we shall never regain.”[19]

 

 Are, then, all those Europeans and other citizens who think freely and refuse to uncritically accept whatever is served to them ‘for their own good’ by the systemic centers of power to be dismissed as eccentric, conspiracists, or ‘cranks’?


8. Theological approach


The issuance of new identities is not only an administrative issue, concerning the relations of the citizen with the state, but also an issue with spiritual dimensions, as it affects the religious consciousness of many Christians, mainly in terms of the following parameters:

 

A. According to Orthodox teaching, self-determination (αὐτεξούσιο) is a constituent element of psychosomatic human existence. “Take away self-determination,” says Saint Maximus the Confessor, “and then we are neither an image of God nor a rational and intellectual soul; then our human nature is truly destroyed”.[20] Human freedom is a God-given gift, which God respects infinitely, and man is called to value it, to preserve it with every sacrifice and to make the most of it. The Church, as the God-man Body of Christ, is the preeminent place of freedom, where the believer enjoys “the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21).

 

Nurtured with such spiritual experiences, faithful Christians, clergy, monastics, and laity alike, have always wholeheartedly participated in the national liberation struggles of our people. Likewise, on every social issue that touches upon human freedoms, the Church cannot remain silent, for by her very nature as a loving Mother, she embraces every aspect of human life and labors for the transformation of society in Christ.

 

It is worth noting that, apart from the issues of freedom already mentioned above, such as the abolition of privacy, the violation of sensitive personal data, and the digital storage of citizens’ biometric information, there also arises a question of freedom of the human will itself, through the coercive imposition of the new identity card.

 

As emphasized in the World Economic Forum Report previously cited:

 

“As an identity system expands, the consequences of non-participation may become so severe as to render enrollment effectively unavoidable... When access to a good or service depends upon possession of an identity, and that identity is widely used, individuals may be effectively forced to obtain this form of identification, even if no legal requirement for it exists.”[21]

 

In light of all this, how can a Christian consent indifferently to a measure that so flagrantly violates the God-given gift of personal freedom?

 

B. It is true that, by losing his freedom, man also loses his value. As Saint Nicholas Kavasilas aptly observes, “to say that I have lost my freedom’ is the same as to say ‘I have lost my humanity’”.[22] This is why a state that digitizes its citizens devalues them; it does not see them as unique and unrepeatable persons of eternal value, but as impersonal units and “data subjects”; it does not want them to be free people, but as will-less beings, easily manipulated; and it no longer recognizes them by their name but by a number, their Personal Number.

 

Such treatment was endured, in the last century, by millions of our fellow human beings under the grim totalitarian regimes of Europe, crammed into the inhuman concentration camps of the Nazis and the Bolsheviks.

 

This numeration and degradation of man is in contradiction with Orthodox theology. Man, created “in the image and likeness” (Gen. 1:26) of God, is “one called [to be] god”—he has been invited to become a god by grace.[23] And after the incarnation of the divine Word, he truly becomes “a partaker of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4) according to the measure of his faith and struggle. No. we shall never consent that man should be reduced to “a branded ox in the global stable.”

 

The name of a Christian, moreover, has a sacredness and reveals his spiritual origin. For he received it on the day when, through his baptism, he became a son of God; and from then on, in the sacramental life of the Church, Christ himself always “calls him by name” (John 10:3).

 

C. As in our days the mystery of lawlessness reaches its peak, believers observe contemporary events with alertness, sobriety and peace and wonder whether they refer to the “signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3), whether they lead us in a prescribed way to a totalitarian system, similar to that described in the Revelation, where no one will be able to buy or sell anything, “except he who has the mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name” (Rev. 13:17)…

 

The faithful people of our homeland are also imbued with what their beloved saint, Saint Paisios of Mount Athos, delivered in his own handwritten note, which he compiled:

 

“...So behind the perfect ‘service card’ computer security system, lies the global dictatorship, the slavery of the Antichrist… So after the card and the identity card, the ‘envelope’, in order to proceed cunningly with the sealing, they will continue to say on television that someone took the card and withdrew the money from the bank. On the other hand, they will advertise the ‘perfect system’, the sealing on the hand or forehead with laser rays, which will not be visible externally, with 666, the name of the Antichrist”

 

If one carefully studies the above texts, if one considers the terrifying power of repression that electronic identity can ensure for a tomorrow's global authoritarian ruler, if one also thinks about how easy it is to impose in the future the addition of the infamous number of the Apocalypse to the microchip of identities, and if, finally, the mass implantation of identification microchips in people begins (this already began abroad several years ago, e.g. in employees of various companies, etc.), one then understands that we are already in a new precursory period of the Antichrist.

 

The Antichrist, when the Almighty Lord allows his coming to earth, will base his destructive work on two already developing realities worldwide:

 

a) the complete moral depravity of people and


b) the existence of a totalitarian system, similar to that to which global digital governance seems to be leading us.

 

That is why the believer is possessed by a “good uneasiness” and stands very hesitantly in the face of receiving the new identity.

 

9. The reactions of the venerable Hierarchy


From the very beginning of the unfolding history of electronic identity cards, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece has repeatedly and with crystal clarity expressed its reservations in a confessional and courageous spirit.


In 1993, it emphasized that “...there exists the potential for a nightmarish threat against the individual freedoms of the citizen...” (Communiqué of the Standing Holy Synod, under the presidency of the late Archbishop Seraphim of Athens).

 

In 1997, it made “an appeal to the Government ...to take care for the best possible protection of the individual from the electronic processing of personal data.”

 

In 1998, it “proclaimed and upheld the need to safeguard the protection of personality, private and family life, and the secrecy of communication.”

 

In 2000, at the magnificent popular assembly in Athens concerning the issue of identity cards, the late Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, surrounded by nearly all the members of the Hierarchy, declared emphatically:

 

“The Church is not concerned only with the indication of religion on the new identity cards.

It is also concerned with electronic filing, it is concerned with the number 666, and it is concerned with the EKAM (the then Personal Identification Number); for all these restrict the freedom of the individual and constitute a gross violation of individual rights.”

 

Finally, in 2010, in a relevant communiqué of the Standing Holy Synod (under the presidency of His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens), it was stressed that:

 

“The Church is obliged to safeguard the freedom of the person and to defend the integrity of the faith.

 

Therefore:


a) The ‘Citizen’s Card’ must in no way, either visibly or invisibly, contain the number 666;


b) Likewise, under no circumstance should it violate personal freedoms.”


The faithful people of God now await the final position of the Holy Hierarchy, which, as has already been announced, will deliberate on the matter of the identity cards in a forthcoming extraordinary synodal convocation. The faithful are anxious yet hopeful, yearning once more to hear from their spiritual shepherds, just as in previous decades, a word that is patristic, lucid, and guiding.

 

10. Epilogue

 

The modern achievements in the field of digital technology reveal both the greatness of man and his tragedy, for when he becomes autonomous and estranged from God, he abuses these gifts, using them not for his good but for his own destruction.

 

We know that today the international political scene is shaped by global markets, to the detriment of peoples. And we also know that these markets are not based on ethical values or principles, but only on economic interests or other pursuits. That is why there are not a few citizens who are justifiably concerned that the enormous power of digital information will be used in the future to restrict their personal freedoms, to suffocate their private lives and to gradually establish a global totalitarian system. Such a tyrannical system will one day be used as a structure by the expected — according to the prophecy of the Apocalypse — Antichrist, in order to impose his global domination.

 

Because freedom is a supreme and non-negotiable good, because democratic values constitute fundamental elements of a healthy society, and because, finally, we do not wish to in the least assist the imposition of any tyrannical authority, we declare, as humble monks of the Holy Church of Christ and as free Greek citizens, that we disagree and are opposed to the mandatory nature of the electronic identity card/card and the Personal Number and we request that their receipt be made optional. We also disagree with the systematic abolition of cash and the ongoing consolidation of databases concerning the personal data of Greek citizens. All of these interrelated aspects—abolition of cash, consolidated databases, Personal Number, electronic identity/card—inevitably lead to complete control of the economic and social activities of citizens.

 

The State, remaining faithful to the principles of democracy and the rule of law, and respecting the freedom of all citizens without exception, must always maintain alternative means of identification and access to services or goods. In every case, it must also protect them effectively from the abuse of digital information, truly safeguarding their privacy and all their individual rights and freedoms.

 

From this perspective, we hope that the Greek Government will heed our legitimate concerns, as expressed in this text, will listen to us, and will not restrict our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms through the forthcoming Presidential Decree on the Personal Number. On the contrary, we wish to believe that, with a democratic spirit, it will proceed with the necessary legal and technical adjustments so that our well-documented positions may be respected. However, in the unfortunate event that our positions are ignored in the decree to be issued, we state with sorrow that we shall be compelled to return with a new declaration, outlining our further stance, a stance grounded in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of our homeland to every Greek citizen.

 

Finally, we recommend to our faithful brothers who are struggling in the world not to rush to receive the new identity cards and the Personal Number, but to exhaust all the available time frames. At the same time, let them protest by every appropriate and legal means, with coordinated movements and interventions, so that their receipt becomes optional. Furthermore, as regards proof of their identity, they should use conventional means of identification, avoiding the corresponding digital ones (e.g. smart applications such as Gov.gr Wallet), knowing that the following also apply: 1) According to the provisions of Law 3731/2008 (Article 25), the services, for the purpose of carrying out administrative procedures, are obliged to accept as a means of identification also the passport or driving license. 2) According to a decision of the Council of State (1602/2021, Section 4), even if 15 years have passed since the issuance of the old identity card, it is considered a valid document and the competent services must accept it, as long as there is no reasonable doubt about its authenticity.

 

We undoubtedly live in apocalyptic times. That is why let us not be complacent. Let us acquire the “good uneasiness” about what is happening around us. Behind the promised conveniences of modern digital society, the shackles of an illiberal system are hidden. Is there any benefit capable of balancing the loss of freedom, for which rivers of blood were shed in our blessed homeland? 

 

Our era demands that we live our Christian identity dynamically and authentically, with spiritual awakening, repentance and prayer, so that we may acquire the “mind of Christ”, so that we may discern the signs of the times and the way in which we should act. Let us cultivate the martyr and ascetic spirit of our Church. Let us learn to use electronic media with restraint, prudence and discernment.

 

And finally, let us be prepared to sacrifice, whenever necessary, not only the comforts of the digital world, but also our own lives, in order to confess our loyalty to the Triune God.

 

The life of the entire world and of every individual person rests in the hands of God. He who daily cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field continues to tenderly protect all His children with His benevolent providence. He, assuredly, even in this present circumstance and in every coming trial, “will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that we may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13).




SIGNATURES OF ABBOTS AND ABBESSES

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ξηροποτάμου Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Ἰωσήφ καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Xeropotamou Archimandrite Joseph and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Δοχειαρίου Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Ἀμφιλόχιος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Dochiariou Archimandrite Amphilochios and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Καρακάλλου Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Φιλόθεος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Karakallou Archimandrite Philotheos and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Φιλοθέου Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Νικόδημος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Philotheou Archimandrite Nikodimos and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Κωνσταμονίτου Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Χαράλαμπος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Konstamonitou Archimandrite Charalambos and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Παναγίας Μολυβδοσκεπάστου Κονίτσης

Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Ἀρσένιος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of Holy Monastery of Panagia Molyvdoskepastou, Konitsa

Archimandrite Arsenios and his fellow brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Κοιμήσεως Θεοτόκου Γηρομερίου Θεσπρωτίας Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Μεθόδιος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Assumption of the Theotokos, Giromeri

Thesprotia Archimandrite Methodios and his fellow brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Μεταμορφώσεως Δρυοβούνου Κοζάνης

Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Στέφανος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of Dryovounou, Kozani

Archimandrite Stefanos and his fellow brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Μεταμορφώσεως Σοχοῦ Λαγκαδᾶ

Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Ἰωαννίκιος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of Sochos, Lagkada

Archimandrite Ioannikios and his fellow brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Γενεθλίου Θεοτόκου Καλλίπετρας Βεροίας

Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Παλαμᾶς καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Kallipetra, Veria

Archimandrite Palamas and our brothers  in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Παρακλήτου Ὠρωποῦ Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Μωϋσῆς καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Paraclete of Oropos Archimandrite Moses and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ἁγίου Νικοδήμου τοῦ Ἁγιορείτου Πυργετοῦ

Λαρίσης Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Εἰρηναῖος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicodemus the Athonite, Pyrgetos, Larisa Archimandrite Irenaeus and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τοῦ Ἱεροῦ Ἡσυχαστηρίου

Ὁσίου Ἀρσενίου τοῦ Καππαδόκου Ὀρμυλίας Χαλκιδικῆς Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Συνέσιος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Hesychasterion

of Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian, Ormylia, Chalkidiki Archimandrite Synesius and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τοῦ Ἱεροῦ Ἡσυχαστηρίου

Ἁγίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ Ρώσσου Πευκοχωρίου Χαλκιδικῆς Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Γρηγόριος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Hesychasterion

of Saint John the Russian, Pefkohori, Chalkidiki Archimandrite Gregory and his brothers and sisters our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τοῦ Ἱεροῦ Ἡσυχαστηρίου

Παντοκράτορος καί Ἁγίας Σκέπης Μελισσοχωρίου Ὡραιοκάστρου Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Ἀντώνιος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Hesychasterion

Pantocrator and Holy Protection of Melissochori, Oreokastro Archimandrite Anthony and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ἁγίας Τριάδος Γατζέας Βόλου Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Γρηγόριος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Holy Trinity, Gatzea, Volos Archimandrite Gregory and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τοῦ Ἱεροῦ Κοινοβίου Ἁγίου Νικοδήμου τοῦ Ἁγιορείτου

Παιονίας Κιλκίς Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Χρυσόστομος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicodemus of Mount Athos

Paeonia, Kilkis Archimandrite Chrysostomos and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Παναγίας Μακαριωτίσσης Δόμβραινας Θήβας

Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Θεοδόσιος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Panagia Makariotissa, Domvrenas, Thebes, Archimandrite Theodosios and our brothers in Christ

 

 Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ἁγίου Γεωργίου Λαγκάδας Πάρου

Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Μελέτιος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint George, Lagkadas, Paros, Archimandrite Meletios, and our brothers in Christ

 

 Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ζωοδόχου Πηγῆς Λογγοβάρδας Πάρου

Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Νικόδημος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Life Giving Spring, Longobardas, Paros, Archimandrite Nikodemos, and our brothers in Christ

 

 Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ἁγίου Νικολάου Σιαμάδων Καλαμπάκας

Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Μακάριος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas, Siamadon, Kalambaka, Archimandrite Makarios, and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ἁγίου Νικολάου Ἄνδρου

Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Δωρόθεος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas, Andros, Archimandrite Dorotheos, and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Γεννήσεως τῆς Θεοτόκου Στομίου Κονίτσης

Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Κοσμᾶς καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Stomion, Konitsa, Archimandrite Kosmas, and our brothers in Christ

 

Ὁ Καθηγούμενος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ἁγίου Ἀθανασίου Ἐράτυρας

Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Νικηφόρος καί οἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφοί

— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Saint Athanasios, Heratyra, Archimandrite Nikephoros, and our brothers in Christ

 

 Ἡ Καθηγουμένη τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Μυρτιδιωτίσσης Θαψανῶν Πάρου

Μακρίνα μοναχή καί αἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφαί

— The Abbess of the Holy Monastery  of Myrtidiotissa, Thapsana, Paros, mother Makrina and our sisterhood in Christ

 

Ἡ Προεστῶσα τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Τιμίου Προδρόμου Πυργετοῦ Λαρίσης, Μετοχίου Ἱεράς Μονῆς Ἁγίου Νικοδήμου

Χριστονύμφη μοναχή καί αἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφαί

— The Abbess of the Holy Monastery of the Honourable Forerunner, Pyrgetos, Larissa, Metochi of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nikodemos, mother Chrystonymphe and our sisterhood in Christ

 

Ἡ Καθηγουμένη τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Μεταμορφώσεως Μουτσιάλης Σκήτης Βεροίας

Πορταΐτισσα μοναχή καί αἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφαί

— The Abbess of the Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration, Moutsialis, Skete, Veria, mother Portaitissa, and our sisterhood in Christ

 

Ἡ Καθηγουμένη τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Εἰσοδίων Ὄσσης Λαγκαδᾶ

Γαλήνη μοναχή καί αἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφαί 

— The Abbess of the Holy Monastery of the Entry of the Theotokos, Ossa, Lagkada, mother Galene, and our sisterhood in Christ

 

Ἡ Καθηγουμένη τοῦ Ἱεροῦ Ἡσυχαστηρίου Τιμίου Προδρόμου Μεταμορφώσεως Χαλκιδικῆς

Μαριάμ μοναχή καί αἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφαί 

— The Abbess of the Holy Hesychasterion of the Honourable Forerunner, Metamorfosi, Halkidiki, mother Mariam, and our sisterhood in Christ

 

Ἡ Καθηγουμένη τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ἁγίου Λαυρεντίου Πηλίου

Μαριάμ μοναχή καί αἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφαί

— The Abbess of the Holy Monastery of Saint Laurentios, Peliou, mother Mariam, and our sisterhood in Christ

 

Ἡ Καθηγουμένη τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ἀρχαγγέλου Μιχαήλ Θάσου

Ἐφραιμία μοναχή καί αἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφαί

— The Abbess of the Holy Monastery of Archangel Michael, Thasos, mother Ephraimia, and our sisterhood in Christ

 

 Ἡ Καθηγουμένη τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Παναγίας Ὁδηγητρίας Πορταριᾶς Βόλου

Θεοφανῶ μοναχή καί αἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφαί 

— The Abbess of the Holy Monastery of the Panagia Odegetria, Portaria, Volos, mother Theophano, and our sisterhood in Christ

 

Ἡ Καθηγουμένη τοῦ Ἱεροῦ Ἡσυχαστηρίου «Παναγία Ἄξιόν Ἐστιν» Μεσαίου Ὡραιοκάστρου

Εὐφημία μοναχή καί αἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφαί

— The Abbess of the Holy Hesychasterion "Panagia Axion Estin" Mesaio, Oraiokastro, mother Euphemia, and our sisterhood in Christ

 

Ἡ Καθηγουμένη τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Παναγιοπούλας Ναούσης

Κασσιανή μοναχή καί αἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφαί

— The Abbess of the Holy Monastery of Panagiopoula, Naoussa, mother Kassiane, and our sisterhood in Christ

 

Ἡ Καθηγουμένη τοῦ Ἱεροῦ Ἡσυχαστηρίου ἁγίου Γεωργίου Ἀνύδρου

Ἰωάννα μοναχή καί αἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφαί

— The Abbess of the Holy Hesychasterion of Saint George, Anydros, mother Ioanna and our sisterhood in Christ

 

Ἡ Καθηγουμένη τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Γοργοϋπηκόου Μάνδρας Ἀττικῆς

Φεβρωνία μοναχή καί αἱ σύν ἐμοί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφαί

— The Abbess of the Holy Monastery of Panagia "She Who Is Quick To Hear", Mandras, Attike, mother Phevronia, and our sisterhood in Christ




ENDNOTES:

[1] Βλ.: α) ΚΥΑ ὑπ᾽ ἀριθμ. 8200/0-297647/2018-ΦΕΚ 1476/Β/27-4-2018, στήν ὁποία ἀναφέρεται: “Στό ἐνσωματωμένο ἠλεκτρονικό μέσο ἀποθήκευσης, ἀποθηκεύονται…καί τά στοιχεῖα πού ἀπαιτοῦνται γιά τίς Ὑπηρεσίες Ἠλεκτρονικῆς Διακυβέρνησης” (ἄρθρ. 3, παράγρ. 4). Ἡ ΚΥΑ αὐτή τροποποιήθηκε ἀπό τήν ΚΥΑ ὑπ᾽ ἀριθμ. 8200/0109568/17-2-2023, στήν ὁποία ἡ ὡς ἄνω παράγραφος ἀντικαταστάθηκε ὡς ἑξῆς: “Στό ὡς ἄνω ἠλεκτρονικό μέσο θά δύναται νά ἀποθηκευτοῦν τά στοιχεῖα πού ἀπαιτοῦνται γιά τίς Ὑπηρεσίες Ἠλεκτρονικῆς Διακυβέρνησης, ἐάν ἀποφασισθεῖ νά συμπεριληφθοῦν στό ἐν λόγω μέσο” (ἄρθρ. 1, παράγρ. 4). β) https://www.tanea.gr/2019/11/22/greece/nees-taytotites-ola-ta-stoixeia-mazi-enas-arithmos-kai-enayper-tsip/amp/

[4] Ibid.

[12] Norbert Häring, Η κατάργηση των μετρητών και οι συνέπειές της—οδεύοντας προς τον ολοκληρωτικό έλεγχο, Αθήνα 2016, εκδ. Λιβάνη.

[15] Ibid.

[20] St. Maximus the Confessor, Commentary on St. Dionysius the Areopagite, VI, ΧΧΧΙΙΙ, PG 4, 306A.

[22] Saint Nicholas Kavasilas, On the Life in Christ, Homily V, PG 150, 638C.

[23] Saint Gregory the Theologian, Letter to Basil the Great, PG 36, 560.

 
 
 
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