ATHENS - Greece's Orthodox Church demanded on Tuesday a national referendum on planned identity cards omitting the bearer's religion, further fuelling a 14-month feud with the government.
"Over three million Greeks have asked for a referendum and the Holy Synod repeats this request," Greece's church leader, Archbishop Christodoulos, told a news conference.
The church has collected the three million signatures since last October to press the government to abandon plans to issue ID cards omitting personal details considered sensitive.
The overwhelming majority of Greece's 11 million population are Greek Orthodox Christians.
Pro-European Prime Minister Costas Simitis has been adamant about changing the current cards, which are issued by police and include the holder's religion.
The socialist government first announced the plans last May -- prompting the Church to organise several protest rallies -- and has since refused even to discuss them.
The Archbishop has said the new ID cards would reduce the role of the powerful Greek Church.
06:49 08-28-01
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