Athens, Greece, Mar 19, 2008 / 20:04 pm
Leaders in the Greek Orthodox Church have denounced the government’s plan to introduce a civil partnerships law, saying it effectively sanctioned prostitution. The denunciation comes even though the new head of the church has signaled he would not oppose the bill, Religious Intelligence reports.
The 13 bishops of the Greek Orthodox Church’s standing committee said on March 17 that the bill was unacceptable. “The Church accepts and blesses the established wedding, according to Orthodox traditions, and considers any other type of similar relationship to be prostitution,” the committee said.
On March 13 Justice Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis briefed Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All-Greece on the government plan to allow unmarried couples to register their unions with civil notaries, making their relationship equal to marriage in the eyes of the state.
After his meeting with the justice minister, Archbishop Ieronymos affirmed the Church’s fidelity to the Bible, the rules of the Church, the ecumenical synods, and the “holy tradition.”