Current:Home > MarketsGreece faces growing opposition from the Orthodox Church over plans to legalize same-sex marriage-LoTradeCoin
Greece faces growing opposition from the Orthodox Church over plans to legalize same-sex marriage
View Date:2025-01-11 09:17:07
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s center-right government is speeding up its timetable to legalize same-sex marriage despite growing opposition from the powerful Orthodox Church.
Government officials said Wednesday that the draft legislation would be put to a vote by mid-February. Greece would become the first Orthodox-majority country to legalize same-sex marriage if the law passes.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, which heads Orthodox churches around the world, expressed its opposition to the same-sex marriage proposal.
“Marriage is the union of man and woman under Christ … and the church does not accept the cohabitation of its members in any form other than marriage,” the Ecumenical Patriarchate said.
It echoed a decision by the church’s senior bishops in Greece on Tuesday.
Metropolitan Bishop Panteleimon, a spokesman for the Greek Church’s governing Holy Synod, said that its written objections would be sent to all members of Greece’s parliament and read out at Sunday services around the country on Feb. 4.
“What the church says is that marriage is the union of a man and a woman and that is the source of life,” he told private Skai television. “The elders of our church are concerned with defending and supporting the family.”
Panteleimon said it was too soon to comment on the approach that the church would take toward the children of same-sex parents.
Conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who won a landslide reelection victory last summer, will likely need to rely on opposition party votes for the measure to be approved. He faces dissent from within the governing New Democracy party as well as from members of his own Cabinet.
“We are talking about something that is already in effect in 36 countries and on five continents. And nowhere does it appear to have damaged social cohesion,” Mitsotakis told his ministers in a televised statement Wednesday.
“I want to be clear: We are referring to choices made by the state and not religious convictions … Our democracy requires that there cannot be two classes of citizens and there certainly cannot be children of a lesser god.”
Recent opinion polls suggest that Greeks narrowly oppose same-sex marriage, with conservative voters more clearly opposed.
___
Follow AP’s global coverage of religion: https://apnews.com/religion
veryGood! (24147)
Related
- Diamond Sports Group can emerge out of bankruptcy after having reorganization plan approved
- Texas Gov. Abbott insists state has right to protect border amid feud with President Biden
- Meryl Streep presents Grammys record of the year, hilariously questions award category
- CNN changes morning show lineup again, adds extra Kasie Hunt hour
- She was found dead while hitchhiking in 1974. An arrest has finally been made.
- Joel Embiid to undergo procedure on knee, miss significant time with Philadelphia 76ers
- Blue Ivy Steals the Show While Jay-Z Accepts 2024 Grammys Global Impact Award
- Richard Caster, a 3-time Pro Bowl tight end and wide receiver for the Jets, dies at 75
- Why have wildfires been erupting across the East Coast this fall?
- Shannen Doherty Responds After Alyssa Milano Denies Getting Her Fired From Charmed
Ranking
- Young Black and Latino men say they chose Trump because of the economy and jobs. Here’s how and why
- Onstage and behind the scenes: The history of Beyoncé, Jay-Z and the Super Bowl
- How Las Vegas evolved from Sin City to Super Bowl host
- Rick Pitino says NCAA enforcement arm is 'a joke' and should be disbanded
- 1 million migrants in the US rely on temporary protections that Trump could target
- Pigeon detained on suspicion of spying released after eight months
- Which NFL team has won the most Super Bowls? 49ers have chance to tie record
- Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf defeat John McEnroe, Maria Sharapova in Pickleball Slam 2
Recommendation
-
Incredible animal moments: Watch farmer miraculously revive ailing chick, doctor saves shelter dogs
-
Is The Current Hurricane Warning System Outdated?
-
Senators release border-Ukraine deal that would allow the president to pause U.S. asylum law and quickly deport migrants
-
TikTok is full of budgeting and other financial tips. Can they boost your financial IQ?
-
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke earlier this month, is expected to make full recovery
-
Below Deck Fans, Get Ready for a Shocking Amount of Season 11 Firings
-
Are you wearing the wrong bra size? Here’s how to check.
-
Like Spider-Man, you may have your very own 'canon event.' Here's what that means.