The Church of Greece, which had likewise suffered greatly under Turkish tyranny, entered on a new stage of its life from the day when it threw off that heavy yoke. The flag of the Revolution received the blessing of the Greek clergy; clerics distinguished themselves as military leaders; and clerics, again, sat on the first national councils of New Greece. From the time of Leo the Isaurian (714-741), the Church of those regions had been a dependency of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to which it was organically joined. But the leaders of the Revolution considered that their political independence from Turkey would not be complete unless it were accompanied by ecclesiastical emancipation. Hence at the General Assembly of Nauplion in 1833, and at the proclamation of the Constitution under King Otto in 1844, the representatives of the nation declared that, although the Church of Greece was and would always remain united with the Great Church of Constantinople on matters of dogma, it would henceforth enjoy complete autonomy in matters of government. To a great extent they were right; for ecclesiastical boundaries had always conformed to political ones, and a free country should have a free Church. But for a long time the Ecumenical Patriarchate would not consent. It saw the Church's property broken up, ostensibly to supply the Church's needs, but actually to be squandered by the laity. It feared that the administrative secession of the Church of Greece might be taken as a precedent by other Balkan peoples who were not yet prepared for self-government; and it was particularly apprehensive lest the Protestant advisers of King Otto should introduce into the young state of Greece forms of government contrary to Orthodox principles. In the end, however, it gave in, and issued in 1850 the Synodical Tome on the emancipation of the Church in Greece, declaring her right to self-government. In the years that followed the Revolution, the boundaries of the Church of Greece, like those of the nation itself, were restricted. But in 1863, the Ionian Islands were united to the Motherland; in 1878, Thes-8aly and part of Epirus; in 1913 Southern Macedonia, Crete and some of the Aegean Islands; and in 1922, Western Thrace. As a result of these various increases in national territory, the boundaries of the Church of Greece were also extended, at the expense of those of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, under whose jurisdiction they had been for centuries. To-day, the Church of Greece includes about eighty Metropoles, of which thirty-three belonged to pre-war Greece, while forty-seven have been added since the war. It is governed by a double Synod: the “Periodical Synod,” which assembles once a year in Athens and includes all the bishops, and the “Permanent Synod,” which consists of eight bishops and deals with everyday affairs. Both Synods are presided over by the Archbishop of Athens, who also bears the title of “Archbishop of the whole of Greece.” The Church of Greece is faced by many problems. Her bishops are all men of scholarly education, and financially independent; but her priests are often wanting both in education and financial means. Theological and clerical schools do indeed exist; but as the priesthood is an almost unpaid calling, their students usually turn to other professions. The people are attached to the Orthodox faith, which is, however, continually being undermined by foreign propaganda; and though Orthodoxy is considered as the official state religion of Greece, the rulers of the country passively watch the misappropriation of ecclesiastical property, and keep the Church in subjection. Against all these evils, the Church of Greece is hard at work. The position of the clergy is gradually improving; sermons are much sought after; the religious press is growing; charitable institutions are being founded; and religious life is progressing both in theory and in practice.