Homosexual “Marriage” will be Legalized Despite Church Opposition, says Greek Government

On December 21, 2023, Greece’s center-right government said it would still legalize same-sex “marriage,” despite strong opposition from the Greek Orthodox Church, which enjoys great authority in the country, the Associated Press reports.

A corresponding legislative initiative will be submitted to the country's Parliament during the current term of the Legislative Assembly, which ends in 2027, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said.

People raise placards as they take part in the annual gay pride parade in Athens on June 10, 2023. Photo: AP/Yorgos Karahalis

A day earlier, on December 20, the Holy Synod of the Greek Church published a resolution in which it expressed strong disagreement with the plans of the authorities. Members of the Synod also touched upon the issue of adoption and raising children by same-sex couples: in their opinion, such couples treat them as “accessories” or “pets.”

“We always respectfully listen to the opinion of the Church. At the same time, we will implement our policies and will listen to the opinions of our civil society, institutions and parties as a whole,” said P. Marinakis.

“The position of the Greek Church remains unchanged: children have an innate need and, therefore, a right to be raised by a male father and a female mother. No social modernization and no political correctness can change this,” the resolution says.

“Children are not pets for those who want to feel like guardians, and they are not tools that make cohabitation between people of the same sex socially acceptable,” members of the Holy Synod recalled.

It is reported that the statement by Church representatives attracted attention and caused widespread discussion in the Greek media.

Opinion polls in Greece show that Greek society is evenly divided on the issue of same-sex “marriage” but is overwhelmingly opposed to parental rights for LGBT couples.

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), an American lobbying organization created to monitor discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, same-sex “marriage” is currently legal in 34 countries around the world. None are Orthodox-majority countries like Greece, although some have legalized same-sex civil unions in recent years.

Some prominent members of Greece's ruling conservative wing have publicly expressed support and others opposition to the government's plans, while leftist and center-left opposition parties have generally supported them.

In October 2023, the leader of the country's main opposition party, Syriza, Stefanos Kasselakis entered into a "marriage" with his male partner in New York a few weeks after winning the election.

The Greek government legalized same-sex civil unions in 2015.