Church of Greece takes strong position against same-sex marriage and parenting

An Encyclical was issued by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, which expressed its clear positions regarding the issue of same-sex marriage and adoption.

The Church of Greece clarified that it does not disagree with civil marriage between individuals of the same sex since civil marriage, in general, is indifferent to the sex of couples and is something that does not concern Orthodox Christian tradition. The Synod did highlight its disagreement on two issues.

Specifically, it “disagrees with same-sex parenting because it does not satisfy the rights of children to have both a father and a mother, and secondly, it disagrees with same-sex marriage because it leads to same-sex parenting (the extension of marriage to same-sex couples is not legally permissible, excluding them from the right to adoption that currently applies to married couples).”

The Church of Greece further emphasises that children should not be used as a tool of activist pressure. It states, “Children are neither pets for anyone who wants to feel like a guardian, nor “accessories” that will legitimise or make socially acceptable a same-sex cohabitation.”

It sends a message to the government, underscoring that “the democratic state is not obliged to yield to the personal demands of individuals with political power, economic influence, or privileged access to the media, who believe they are entitled to raise a child with their same-sex partner, overlooking the issue of whether their private life choices ensure an environment of standards and roles that satisfy the needs of a child.”

The Encyclical of the Holy Synod also highlights that “as explained by the European Court of Human Rights, concerning adoption, the state must provide a suitable family environment for a child to grow up in, rather than provide children to anyone who wants to become a parent. In the context of adoption, the priority is the best interest of the child who lacks parents or suitable parents, not the opinion of the adult who believes they are suitable as a parent.”

READ MORE: Metropolitan Fthiotida Symeon on same-sex marriages: “Leave Americanism, this is Greece! We’re conservative.”