Cyprus cleric offers church assets to aid country

The head of Cyprus’s influential Orthodox Church says he will put the church’s assets at the country’s disposal to help pull it out of a financial crisis, after politicians rejected a plan to seize up to 10% of people’s bank deposits to secure an international bailout.

Speaking after meeting president Nicos Anastasiades today, Archbishop Chrysostomos II said the church was willing to mortgage its assets to invest in government bonds.