Archbishop warns of 'social explosion'

Archbishop Ieronymos at the Athens municipal homeless reception centre, which distributes free meals to the poor people, December 2011 The leader of the Orthodox Church is warning that a rapid rise in poverty could trigger a "social explosion" and described austerity measures demanded by EU-IMF rescue creditors as "lethal medicine".   In a dramatic letter to the prime minister, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos signalled that the country should change course to avoid sinking further into financial hardship.   "Homelessness and even hunger – phenomena seen during the [Second World] war – have reached nightmare levels ... A sense of patience among Greeks is running out, giving way to a sense of anger, and the danger of a social explosion can no longer be ignored," Ieronymos wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Lucas Papademos.   "We must all understand the feeling of insecurity, desperation and depression in every Greek home. This, unfortunately, is continuing to causes suicide among those who can no longer stand the drama in their family and the suffering of their children."   And he added: "The medicine was are taking has proved to be lethal for the nation ... And what is likely to follow are more painful, more unjust measures in the same hopeless and unsuccessful course of our recent past." (Athens News/gw)