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The Church of Crete (Greek: Εκκλησία της Κρήτης) is an Eastern Orthodox Church, comprising the island of Crete in Greece. The Church of Crete is semi-autonomous (self-governing) under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The current Archbishop of Crete is, since 30 August 2006, Irinaios Athanasiadis.
The Church of Crete has been self-governing since late Ottoman times. The charter of the church was recognized by law (Law 4149/1961) by the Greek state in 1961, some 50 years after the island's incorporation into Greece. In 1962, the Patriarchate elevated the island's bishoprics to metropolises, and in 1967, the Metropolitan of Crete was promoted to Archbishop. The Patriarchate nominates the island's presiding bishop from a list of three Cretan bishops prepared by the Greek Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, but the Church's affairs, including the nomination of the other bishops, are otherwise handled by the Holy Provincial Synod of Crete. The link with the Patriarchate ensures less opposition to ecumenism than generally expressed in the mainland Church of Greece.
The Church of Crete is composed of: