With the Greek government having proposed legislation on same-sex marriage and adoption, the Church of Greece has made its position clear.
According to Orthodox Times, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece issued an encyclical expressing that it stands against same-sex marriage and parenting
The church clarified that it does not disagree with same-sex civil marriages as it is indifferent to the sex of couples and is something that does not concern Orthodox Christian tradition.
However, their concerns remain around parenting, which they disagree with because “it does not satisfy the rights of children to have both a father and a mother.”
As an extension to that, the church disagrees with same-sex marriage because it can lead to same-sex parenting. Stating that “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 also emphasised that children should not be used as a tool of activist pressure.
“Children are neither pets for anyone who wants to feel like a guardian, nor “accessories” that will legitimize or make socially acceptable a same-sex cohabitation,” the encyclical wrote.
In what was a message to the government, the church said that the democratic state shouldn’t oblige to the “personal demands” of those with power in politics, economy or media, “who believe they are entitled to raise a child with their same-sex partner.”
It said that they are “overlooking the issue of whether their private life choices ensure an environment of standards and roles that satisfy the needs of a child.”
Furthermore, in the concerns about adoption, the church pointed to the European Court of Human Rights, which says 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.”
It said that it’s in the best interest of the child, not the adult.
