ATHENS – Students who are Orthodox in Greece must attend religion classes, said the country’s highest administrative court The Council of State, which ruled only those who are not exempt.

There’s no separation of Church and State in Greece, a country where some 81.4 percent are Orthodox Christians and governments are typically sworn in by the leader of the Greek Church.

The ruling said the exemption put in place by the Education Ministry in 2022 was constitutional and in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation.

The decision also stopped cases brought by the Union of Atheists against the decision by the Ministry for non-Orthodox students to submit an application showing why they don’t have to take religion courses.