Orthodoxy and LGBT: Has the first domino fallen?

Archbishop Leo of Helsinki surrounded by Zoria and Dumenko. Photo: OCU

In early October, a delegation of Lutheran bishops from Scandinavian countries visited Ukraine, accompanied by the primate of the Finnish Church of the Constantinople Patriarchate, Archbishop Leo. As usual, they met with Serhii Dumenko and even attended a service at St. Michael’s, concelebrated by the Finnish primate and Dumenko.

At the time, the UOJ editorial office happened to notice one of the Lutheran bishopesses’ statements about LGBT issues – and decided to check the positions of the others. The results were unexpected: nearly all the guests, in one way or another, openly support LGBT ideology – attending “pride” marches, hanging rainbow flags in their churches, and even calling for the legalization of same–sex marriage.

Naturally, no one thought to check the position of the Finnish primate himself. As it turns out, that was a mistake.

At the end of November, the Council of the Finnish Church convened in Helsinki. Among other matters, it examined an “Initiative of the Church Council on the Recognition and Protection of the Rights of Sexual and Gender Minorities.”

The Council voted to approve the initiative.

Their reasoning was hardly original: the Church is the Body of Christ. Excluding homosexuals or “denying their identity,” they claim, “causes pain not only to these individuals but wounds the community, harms the Church, depriving it of its fullness and making it weaker.”

“In the Church, absolutely everyone – regardless of sex, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, skin color, state of health, social status, etc. – must feel safe,” the Council’s text reads.

In other words, a person who practices an openly sinful lifestyle is not required to address that sin. Instead, sin is placed on the same level as nationality, skin color, or health. And the Church, we are told, becomes “weaker” without such unrepentant sinners.

Not long ago, Archbishop Leo was outraged by the U.S. peace plan because it allegedly contained a requirement for Ukrainian authorities to stop persecuting the UOC. He interpreted that as an act of “injustice.”

This is the strange era we live in: an Orthodox primate objects to the right of millions of Christians to confess Christ in the faith of their fathers for a thousand years – yet warmly advocates for the “rights” of homosexuals within the Church.

And one more thing. It is hard to believe that an autonomous Finnish Church would adopt such a scandalous document without a nod from the Phanar. More likely, this is a test of tolerance. If the Orthodox faithful remain silent – similar council decisions should be expected elsewhere.

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