Green light given to Church land transfer

THE Greek Cypriot government has given the green light for the transfer of some 15,000 acres of Church land to the state, almost 50 years after the initial agreement was made.

Under a 1971 deal between Church and state, both headed by Archbishop Makarios at the time, the government undertook to subsidise the monthly salary of priests in rural areas with the equivalent of 675 euros, which is half the minimum salary a priest may receive.

In return, the state was to be given ownership of 15,564 acres of land.

Of the tracts transferred to the state by the church, 73 per cent are in the North now and have been valued at slightly over 125 million euros. The remainder, according to the land registry department, was valued at over 81 euros million at 2010 prices.

Although the land was granted to the state at the time the original agreement was signed, and used by the government since, it was never officially transferred.

Since 1983, according to available records, the government has paid out 123.7 million euros to subsidise priests’ salaries.