Greek Church Bans Local Politicians Who Supported Sam-Sex Marriage Legislation

In a move escalating tensions, Church authorities in Corfu imposed a religious ban on two local lawmakers who voted in favor of the country's landmark law legalising same-sex civil marriage.

The move comes after the law was passed in February with support from across the political spectrum, making Greece the first Orthodox Christian nation to legalise same-sex marriage.

Church authorities on the island of Corfu accused the two opposition lawmakers, who voted for the reform, of committing "the deepest spiritual and moral error." This action further highlights the ongoing friction between the socially conservative Church and the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose centre-right government proposed the law.

The Church had previously expressed strong opposition to the reform, actively campaigning against it and pressuring lawmakers to vote against its passage. This latest development suggests a potential escalation of this internal conflict within Greece.

(Source: AP)