Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
Greek parliament
On the night of February 15, the Greek parliament legalized marriage and adoption for same-sex couples. The conservative Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, brought this text before parliament, where it was approved by 176 of the 254 deputies present. Greece has become the first Orthodox country to legalize gay marriage, and the 37th in the world.
The Greek Orthodox Church was strongly opposed to this project. “Children have an innate need and therefore the right to grow up with a male father and a female mother,” explained the Greek Holy Synod. During the vote, more than 4,000 Greeks gathered in front of Parliament, holding up icons of the Virgin Mary and reciting prayers for their country.
In 2015, Greece recognized rights and benefits for homosexual couples. The new law will allow them to marry and adopt children. The text does not, however, allow adoption for these couples through surrogate mothers. Greece's social evolution contrasts sharply with other predominantly Orthodox nations, such as Russia for example.
The Greek Orthodox Church, which brings together more than 80% of the country's 11 million inhabitants, opposed the recent strengthening of LGBTQ rights. In early February 2024, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece sent a letter to the 300 members of the Greek Parliament, highlighting the damage the new law would cause to families and children.
“The bill abolishes paternity and maternity and places the rights of homosexual adults above the interests of future children, which will result in them being raised by same-sex couples and growing up without a father or mother in an environment where the roles of the two sexes are confused,” the Greek Church pointed out.
According to the latest poll, carried out at the end of January, 62% of those questioned were in favor of the bill. However, the survey showed that 69% of those questioned were opposed to same-sex parenthood.
The Greek Orthodox Church had given up on launching demonstrations: “We cannot interfere in the legislative process – it is up to the state to promulgate the laws,” she explained. All the same, there were representatives of the Orthodox Church protesting in major cities in recent weeks, according to the New York Times.
Although from a conservative party, Prime Minister Mitsotakis supported this bill. He enjoys significant popularity given Greece's good economic results.
(Sources : cath.ch/Valeurs actuelles – FSSPX.Actualités)
Illustration : ΠΑΣΟΚ, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
