ATHENS – With pockets of defiance remaining in the clergy against COVID-19 health measures rapidly being eased, the Church of Greece's Holy Synod chastised two Bishops who ignored the rules during the Easter holidays.

The Holy Synod said that it had met twice in two days to discuss the actions of the rebel clerics and how they could be disciplined after “deliberate diversions from the Synod’s unanimous decisions were observed.”

The Synod added that “with great sadness” it will be sending letters of reprimand to the Metropolitan Bishops of Kythira Seraphim and Aetolia-Akarnania Kosmas, said Kathimerini.

They will face no real penalties beyond being scolded although a statement against Seraphim was more scalding, saying that he “insists on ignoring the crucial nature” of the Synod’s decisions, without facing any restrictions.

Defiance of the health measures isn't limited to the church, as some teachers and many students aren't wearing masks and there are questions over whether they are presenting accurate results of self-tests required to be in classes.

A high school teacher in Thessaloniki was arrested after a lawsuit filed against him by the school principal, for appearing in class without having previously taken a self-test and refusing to leave the premises.

The incident occurred at a school in the area of Thermi. The 50-year-old teacher was arrested and a case was filed against him for disrupting the operation of a public service, the paper said, but he was released.

It's difficult to impossible for even principals to have any real authority over teachers although the New Democracy government warned that teachers who don't obey would be reprimanded, lose pay or be fired with no report anyone has so far yet.