Church donation box goes digital in Greece

Athens: Devout regulars attending Athens s main Roman Catholic church that honours a first century saint have discovered a 21st century update: their...

Athens: Devout regulars attending Athens's main Roman Catholic church that honours a first-century saint have discovered a 21st-century update: their donation box is now hooked up to a digital payments system.

The addition of the Point of Sale (POS) device in the Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite is the first in a Greek church, even though their use is common elsewhere, including in Africa.

Such was the stir created in Orthodox-dominated Greece that cameras from national broadcasters were on hand Sunday, trained on the POS's small screen -- even though it was not yet switched on.

The unit was expected to be working within a week, accepting card-tap donations as small as one cent, up to a limit of 1,000 euros ($1,130).

It was sitting on a wooden furniture unit alongside prayer candles that could be exchanged for donations.