Athonite monks on same-sex marriage legalization: It's a great crime

The building of the Protos of Mount Athos. Photo: romfea.gr

On 8 February 2024, 40 abbots and representatives of the monasteries of Mount Athos spoke out against the legalisation of same-sex marriage by the Greek government, reports Romfea.

The Athonites said in a statement: "The legislation, as provided for in the draft law, while it wants to ensure the principle of equality through the conclusion of "marriage" for persons of the same sex and even protection against discrimination, circumvents fundamental principles of human existence and kills the possibility of life and normal child's development."

According to the monks, "It is not the human family that is being dissolved, but the entire human existence."

"The institutionalization of ‘marriage’ between persons of the same sex is a reversal of Christian marriage and the institution of the family and has been rejected by the entire church tradition and is dealt with by repentance, which is a change of lifestyle," the document said.

Paying special attention to the "right" to adopt children, including as a result of surrogacy, which the new law may grant to gay couples, the Athonite Fathers wrote that "this is a denial of the existence of man, a destruction of the foundations of the edifice of humanity."

In their view, "Not only the gospel and the Greek society are affected. The universe is being deconstructed."

"Whether you are a believer or an unbeliever, you will be born the same way. When you change these, in essence you decide on a slow but sure death of humanity," the Athonites emphasised.

They wrote that "this 'marriage' promoted today leads to a dead end" and called on the authorities to "respect human nature".

Recalling the words of the Apostle Paul that "fornicators and sodomites will not inherit the Kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6: 9-10), the Athonite Fathers wrote that " It is a shame for those who make these bills and consider this evolution to be natural" (i.e. those who support gay marriage – Ed.).

At the same time, the Athonites "encourage and praise those who prefer the voice of conscience against the haphazard party discipline".

They warned members of the Greek Parliament: "There is One who directs everything. He who made the world and man, to live in eternity and to exist. He exists and protects us…. All those who want to change their lives will bump into Him."

Passing a law on gay marriage, according to the monks of Mount Athos, "is a great crime" committed by people who "attack human nature because in essence they stop normal development and unrecognized, they destroy man".

Read also