Excommunication looms for PM Mitsotakis as Greek church protests same-sex marriage

Greek Orthodox Church’s backlash against same-sex marriage legislation leads to excommunication of two MPs, with Prime Minister Mitsotakis also facing potential expulsion

The Metropolitan Church of Corfu excommunicated two MPs, Dimitris Biagis of PASOK and Alexandros-Christos Avlonitis of SYRIZA, on March 6 due to their support for the legalization of same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.

In a unanimous open letter, the General Clerical Assembly of Corfu expressed “deep sorrow” regarding the MPs’ stance.

The letter stated, “They have erred spiritually very heavily, whether because they followed ‘party discipline,’ or because they do not understand that to be a member of the Church, one must follow – obey its teachings, not selectively, but as a whole.” This decision reflects the Church’s firm position on adhering to its traditional teachings.

This move by the Church is in line with its broader response to the same-sex marriage law. Earlier, in a symbolic protest, the Church had shifted the location of the Orthodox Sunday celebration from the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens to the Monastery of Petraki. Additionally, it declined the Presidential Mansion’s invitation for the customary luncheon.

The outrage within the Church over this issue is escalating. Clerics are calling for punitive measures against those they term “immoral lawmakers.” This reaction extended beyond the two MPs to include Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and others who voted in favor of the bill.

An open letter from Bishop Ambrosios called for Mitsotakis’s excommunication, stating, “Our Orthodox church is under siege. A revolution should be called against all those diluting the law of God. The protagonist of this moral crime, the prime minister of Greece, and the 175 deputies in the Greek parliament should be excommunicated.”

Archbishop Ieronymos, often seen as a moderate voice within the Church hierarchy, has suggested putting the same-sex marriage law to a popular referendum, indicating the Church’s deep opposition to the legislation.

This proposal signifies the challenges and divisions within Greek society and the Orthodox Church over evolving social norms and the intersection of religion and state politics.

Source: Newsroom