The Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church of Greece clarified on Wednesday that POS in churches have nothing to do with the Orthodox church.
Holding a meeting under the presidency of Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece the Holy Synod issued a statement saying that the only permitted transactions for buying a candle for example are via e-banking or the IRIS online payment system.
The decision comes after the first POS in direct connection with a cash register was recently installed Church of Agios Dionysios the Areopagite in Kolonaki in downtown Athens and made it in the news.
Media quoted the priest of the Catholic church in downtown Athens as saying that tourists had requested the option of contactless transactions, as they do not have cash on them, and so it was decided to meet the request for the convenience of believers.
It is worth noting that this particular machine can accept very small amounts, of the order of one cent, while there is a “cap” at 1,000 euros.
It is speculated there may have been similar requests by Greek Orthodox believers and the Holy Synod clarified that the POS in not related with a Greek Orthodox church.
“According to a relevant Regulation voted on March 11, 2025 and is about to be published in the Official Gazette the installation of POS in Orthodox holy temples is prohibited, while only allowing transactions (receipts of donations, payment of expenses, etc.) by ecclesiastical legal entities using internet banking and IRIS are allowed,” the statement of the Holy Synod said.
PS In case you’re wondering: POS in churches would mean transparency in revenues and eventual taxation.