Greek church head is defiant in dispute with world Orthodox leader

A rift between Greece's Orthodox archbishop and the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians over the appointment of three bishops has deepened.

Greece's Archbishop Christodoulos is at odds with Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew over control of dioceses, including a major one at Thessaloniki.

The dispute flared last week when the Greek church appointed three bishops for the disputed dioceses. Bartholomew said he was not properly consulted, demanded that the appointments be canceled and suspended ties with the Greek archbishop.

"We are defending the rights of our church," Christodoulos said at Athens cathedral Sunday.

A possible church split has caused alarm in the predominantly Orthodox nation.

The Athens daily Eleftherotypia blamed Christodoulos for an "Orthodox jihad" and urged the government not to ratify the bishop appointments. But the weekly Paron newspaper published a poll showing 76 percent of Greeks disagree with penalties imposed by Bartholomew.

Bartholomew, spiritual leader of about 200 million Orthodox Christians around the world, cannot dismiss the archbishop but can attempt to isolate him abroad and within Greece.