L Laws of the MR V

TITLE THIRTY-FOUR – PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES AND OBSERVANCES

Public Law No. 22 [The National Holidays Act (Το Νομοσχέδιο Εθνικών Εορτών)] (6/7/1932)

• §1 The following public days of rest shall be observed in the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain:
  • January 6 (January 7 if January 6 falls on a Sunday), the Epiphany/ē Theopháneia tou Kyríou;
  • February 2 (February 3 if February 2 falls on a Sunday), the Presentation of Christ/ē Hypapánte tou Kyríou;
  • Good Friday/ē Megále Paraskeuḗ;
  • Easter/ta Páscha Monday;
  • Ascension/ē Analépsis tou Kyríou Thursday;
  • Pentecost/ē Pentekostḗ Monday;
  • July 5 (July 6 if July 5 falls on a Sunday), Constitution Day/ta Ēméra tou Suntágmatos, the date on which the constitution was adopted in 1872;
  • August 15 (August 16 if August 15 falls on a Sunday), the Dormition of the All-holy/ē Koímesis tēs Panagías;
  • Election Day, the first Monday of September in election years/ta Ēméra tōn Εlogṓn;
  • September 8 (September 9 if September 8 falls on a Sunday), the Nativity of the All-holy/ē Génnēsē tēs Panagías Παναγίας;
  • October 5 (October 6 if October 5 falls on a Sunday), Independence Day/ta Ēméra Anexartēsés, the date on which a united force of monks drove the Ottoman troops out of the Monastic Republic's territory in 1870;
  • November 21 (November 22 if November 21 falls on a Sunday), the Presentation of the All-holy/ē Eídosis tēs Panagías;
  • December 8 (December 9 if December 8 falls on a Sunday), the Immaculate Conception of the All-Holy/ē Ópilē Súllēpsē;
  • December 24, Christmas Eve;
  • December 25, Christmas Day/ta Xristoúgenna.
• §2 On these days all government institutions shall be closed. This includes, but is not limited to, schools, post offices, banks, government agencies, and alcoholic beverage stores.
• §3 Any government agency that caters to the tourist trade need not close on these days. However, this shall not include any of the agencies enumerated in §2.
• §4 Private businesses that do not close on these days must give their employees compensatory time for working on these days.

TITLE THIRTY-FIVE – POSTAL SERVICE

Public Law No. 23 [The Postal Services Act] (10/4/1932)

• Article 1 [General]
  • §1 By treaty with the Hellenic Kingdom, the postage of the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain will be put on a par with that of the Hellenic Kingdom.
  • §2 Any change in postal rates in the Hellenic Kingdom will be reflected automatically in the rates in the Monastic Republic.
  • §3 Postal rates for delivery within the Monastic Republic will be determined by Law. Only stamps of the Monastic Republic may be used for mail posted within the Monastic Republic.
  • §4 A commission shall be established to design the artwork for the stamps of the Monastic Republic. These designs shall be submitted to the Archimandrite for his approval.
  • §5 Every stamp approved by the Archimandrite shall contain the following elements:
    • a. the letters ΓΜΔΑΟ
    • b. the denomination of the stamp in large numerals
    • c. the year of the printing in small numerals
    • d. a design approved by the Archimandrite
  • §6 Stamps of the Monastic Republic shall be either square or rectangular.
  • §7 Enough postal stamps shall be printed to satisfy both postal needs and philatelic needs.
• Article 2 [Penalty Mail]
  • §1 The following are entitled to the use of penalty mail:
    • a. the Archimandrite and the Hegumens for their official business;
    • b. Members of the Justiciary and their staffs when discharging their official function;
    • c. those so designated in the Gendarmery when discharging their official function;
  • §2 Penalty envelopes shall be printed with the name of the agent using them in the upper left hand corner.
  • §3 Penalty mail is valid for mail only within the Monastic Republic.

TITLE THIRTY-EIGHT – PUBLIC LANDS

Public Law No. 5 [The Real Estate Act] (10/7/1884)

• §1 All land shall belong to the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain. No citizen may own land.
• §2 Citizens may build their own homes or businesses on public land by agreement with the Protos Seneschal. They shall own the building but not the land on which it is built.
• §3 No building constructed in the Monastic Republic shall be taller than three stories. This shall not be applied to the monasteries themselves, but does apply to any building constructed by the monasteries.
• §4 Basements may be built wherever the water table permits.
• §5 Any building constructed in the Monastic Republic shall be constructed so as to be earthquake- and fire-resistant.

TITLE FORTY-ONE – ALIENS AND NATIONALITY

Public Law No. 19 [The Naturalization Act] (9/8/1931)

• Article I [Naturalization]
  • §1 Citizenship in the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain, as well as its legal effects, is acquired, kept and lost in accordance with the Law.
  • §2 There shall be no immigration quota system. Those wishing to become citizens of the Monastic Republic shall be treated on a first-come, first-served basis and at the discretion of the Holy Synod.
  • §3 The acquisition of citizenship in the Monastic Republic by a foreign national shall be regulated by Law which requires, inter alia, the fulfillment of the following conditions:
    • a. that he can speak and write Greek;
    • b. that he be gainfully employed in the Monastic Republic;
    • c. that he has formally and legally renounced citizenship of any other country;
    • d. that he has resided in the Monastic Republic for at least ten years; and
    • e. that, in the five years preceding taking the oath of citizenship, he has not been out of the Monastic Republic more than 30 days in any one calendar year.
  • §4 The requirements of §3 do not apply to the monks on the Holy Mountain. Monks gain citizenship automatically upon acceptance into a monastery by the Hegumen or Abbot.
  • §5 Upon final acceptance of the monk by his Hegumen or Abbot, the monk must renounce his citizenship in his native country.
  • §6 Identification data of newly admitted monks must be sent immediately to the office of the Hegumen Constable.
  • §7 With the exception of voting and the holding of public office, a foreign national who has officially announced his intention to become a citizen of the Monastic Republic, and who is in his ten-year residency, is accorded all the rights and privileges of a citizen.
  • §8 A person of foreign nationality who is married to a citizen of the Monastic Republic may acquire citizenship after residing in the Monastic Republic for only five years, provided that the conditions of §3a, §3c, and §3e have been fulfilled.
  • §9 A child of adoptive parents, one of whom is a citizen of the Monastic Republic and who resides in the Monastic Republic, acquires citizenship upon legal recognition of the adoption by the Monastic Republic. Foreigners who have reached their eighteenth birthday may not be adopted by citizens of the Monastic Republic.
• Article II [Denaturalization]
  • §1 The acquisition or retention of a nationality other than that of the Monastic Republic shall entail the loss of the latter, subject to the terms and periods established by Law.
  • §2 A citizen of the Monastic Republic may renounce his citizenship for personal reasons.
  • §3 A citizen of the Monastic Republic who marries a foreign national and chooses to live with him in his country shall lose his Monastic Republic citizenship.
  • §4 Any children born to this marriage shall not be recognized as citizens of the Monastic Republic.
  • §5 Should this former citizen of the Monastic Republic be widowed or should this marriage be annulled, he and any minor children may regain their Monastic Republic citizenship.
  • §6 Any citizen of the Monastic Republic convicted of traveling on a foreign passport shall be deprived of his citizenship in the Monastic Republic.
  • §7 Loss of citizenship shall result from illegitimate service in the armed forces of another nation.
  • §8 All those who renounce or are deprived of their citizenship shall leave the Monastic Republic. Any personal property not taken with them, or for which arrangements for distribution have not been made, shall become the property of the State.
  • §9 The family members of the deportee have the option of being deported or of remaining as citizens of the Monastic Republic. Those wishing to remain citizens of the Monastic Republic enjoy the favor of the Law.
  • §10 Extradition treaties shall be entered into with any sovereign nation that requests it with due regard given to human rights issues.
  • §11 The Archimandrite may, for reasons of national security, forbid the entrance of any foreign national into the Monastic Republic.

TITLE FORTY-TWO – PUBLIC ASSOCIATIONS

Public Law No. 15 [The Public Associations Register Act] (5/6/1930)

• §1 The demes of the Lowland and the Isles shall establish a common registry of the associations permitted to assemble in the demes.
• §2 The registry entry shall include the name of the association, its address, the name of the person in charge, its purpose, its connection to any non-Athonite association, and the date of approval.
• §3 A copy of the association's constitution or bylaws must be submitted with the application to assemble.
• §4 It shall be the responsibility of the association to notify the demes of any changes in the data required by §2.
• §5 A delay of longer than ten working days in notifying the demes of any changes shall void the approval of the association.
• §6 The definition of 'association' shall not include those churches permitted by the Holy Synod.

TITLE FORTY-THREE - VOTING

Public Law No. 14 [The Voting Register Act] (4/8/1930)

• §1 Each deme shall maintain a register of those of its residents who are eligible to vote.
• §2 Each register entry shall list the name, the date of birth or naturalization, the identification number, the address, a notation of the date and reason for the right being suspended, and a notation of the date and reason for the right being reinstated.
• §3 Every citizen, upon reaching the age of 18, shall be notified by the voting registrar of his right to vote. He shall be asked to appear before the voting registrar to verify the registry information.
• §4 A new identification card shall be issued to the new voter containing the information that he is eligible to vote.