THE GREEK parliament ratified the Schengen accords on open borders in Europe yesterday despite objections by fundamentalists in the powerful Orthodox Church that the accords are part of a satanic conspiracy.
The treaty was approved by 142 of the 222 deputies who cast ballots in the 300 seat parliament. The 80 deputies who voted against the measure were mostly from the opposition.
Orthodox Church leaders say Satan is lurking in computer codes regulating the Schengen process, in the form of the number 666, the symbol of the AntiChrist in the Apocalypse of St John.
Among deputies from the Ruling Socialist Party, which has pushed for the accord's ratification, only four voted against it.
On Tuesday hundreds of demonstrators, including Orthodox priests, monks and mothers with children, took part in a prayer vigil outside parliament hoping to dissuade the legislators from approving the accords, which will abolish border controls across much of the EU by the end of this year. There were further protests yesterday.
Nine opposition deputies backing the protests successfully pressed for the ratification vote to be carried out by a show of hands so that those who vote in favour can be identified.
Religious groups have said ratification of the treaty is a betrayal of Greece and part of an international Judaeo Masonic conspiracy.