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The Orthodox Christian News Service

Published by Ecclesia.gr, August 3, 2004

 Elite Priests Deployed for Olympic Spiritual Needs

(Reuters) - Elite snipers, soldiers and biochemical experts will keep athletes` bodies safe from harm during this month`s Olympic Games, but for matters of the soul, elite priests from the Church of Greece are set to take over.

The priests will be at Orthodox athletes' disposal at all times, with morning and evening services to be held at the Olympic village every day.

Archbishop Christodoulos, the head of the Church of Greece, announced the plan during a service blessing the Greek Olympic and Paralympic team Sunday.

"These priests are multilingual and speak either European or Slavic languages, they have been instructed specially and have on hand printed material in foreign languages for the athletes," church spokesman Father Epifanios Economou said Monday.

"Not just any priest could do this work, they have to have special qualifications."

The popular and often controversial Christodoulos has already issued "Olympic ten commandments," a 10-point letter to churches in the Greek capital telling priests to tidy up churches, ring bells sparingly and have brochures ready for tourists interested in the country's Orthodox heritage.

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