SUMMARY BOX: Greek Church Leader Warns Of Tension

DIRE PREDICAMENT: The leader of Greece’s Orthodox Church warns that rising poverty could trigger a “social explosion” and says the measures Greece is taking to avoid defaulting on its debt are “fatal.”

THE DEAL: Greece is promising rescue creditors to make more cuts as it nears agreement with other countries in the 17-nation eurozone for a bailout and with private creditors for a debt reduction.

CHURCH RESPONSE: The Greek church has stepped up a charity drive this week, during a cold snap that left much of the country in sub-freezing temperatures and a growing number of homeless people at risk. Unemployment in Greece has surged to 19.2 percent.