Phanar bishop in US on baptizing gay couple's children: No reason to refuse

Archbishop Elpidophoros with a gay couple and their children after baptism. Photo: vimaorthodoxias

Archbishop Elpidophoros with a gay couple and their children after baptism. Photo: vimaorthodoxias

The head of the Archdiocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the USA, Archbishop Elpidophoros, stated that he had no reasons to refuse a gay couple the baptism of their children.

During an interview with the Greek publication LiFO, the journalist reminded Elpidophoros of the harsh criticism he faced for baptizing the children of a same-sex couple in Greece and asked if he had any regrets about it.

Elpidophoros replied that it should be clarified "that we are talking about baptism, not a wedding." He explained that when the gay couple asked to baptize their children, he "agreed with enormous joy."

And since "the godparents were Orthodox, I had absolutely no grounds to refuse," Elpidophoros emphasized.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the head of the Archdiocese of the Phanar in the USA baptized the children of a homosexual couple.

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