A Roman Catholic cathedral in Athens has drawn national attention after installing a contactless payment device for church donations.

This is a first for any church in Greece, as reported by AFP.

Located in the Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius the Areopagite, the Point of Sale (POS) device allows worshippers to tap their cards to donate as little as one cent, up to €1,000 (£851.70).

Though common in churches across Western countries and parts of Africa, its appearance in Greece, where the Orthodox Church predominates, sparked curiosity and debate.

National TV crews even arrived to film the unused device on its first Sunday in place.

“The first church donation box with POS: Tourists requested it, the Church made it happen,” reported Greek news site Protothema.

Fr Georgios Dangas, the cathedral priest, said tourists were the driving force behind the change: “We have been asked to install a POS by tourists coming to Athens. Worshippers from all over the world who travel without cash want to give something for the church,” he told the outlet.

He also noted the financial realities of church life: “The expenses of running the church, the salaries of the priests and the charity work are not paid by either the Greek state or the Vatican, so the contributions were vital.”

The innovation has reportedly drawn interest from nearby Orthodox churches, with some clergy watching closely to see how well it is received.