Archbishop supports church’s opposition to gay marriage

Gay marriage would negate the gospel, Archbishop Georgios said on Wednesday, echoing in his support for the Orthodox Church of Greece’s unanimous synod opinion against gay marriage and adoption by gay couples.

The church prelate said that he agreed with the decision of the Greek church.

On Tuesday, the holy synod of the Greek church – which met in an extraordinary session under Archbishop Ieronymos of Greece – unanimously decided to oppose the legislation of same-sex marriage.

At the meeting, which lasted about five hours, the synod members, as stated in their communiqué, decided to send letters to the members of parliament to read in the churches on February 4, along with a circular outlining the church’s positions and a relevant leaflet. The metropolitans of each province will be authorised to take initiatives to inform the faithful.

The Greek church took these decisions after it emerged a few weeks ago that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was planning to publish a bill to legalise same-sex marriage.

Asked about the decision after a service at the monastery of Ayios Neophytos in Cyprus on Wednesday, the archbishop said that as the Church of Greece has stated, “since we do not have the ability to make laws, we will have the ability to speak the truth and preach to the world to avoid any deviation from the law of God.”

Commenting on whether the issue will be discussed by the holy synod of the Cypriot Church, Georgios said, “If the same issue arises in our case, we will deal with it, but there is no other answer.”

Greece is currently discussing the bill at a governmental level, and Mitsotakis hopes it will go to parliament for a vote in mid-February, reports said.