Holy Synod protests over baptism of gay couple’s children

The Holy Synod of Greece’s Orthodox Church unanimously voted on Monday to send a letter of protest to Archbishop of America Elpidophoros over his decision to baptize the twin children of a same-sex couple in the Athens suburb of Glyfada last week.

The church hierarchy voted on the move following a written complaint from the bishop of Glyfada, Antonios, who is said to have taken issue with the fact that Elpidophoros did not inform him in his written request to conduct the ceremony at the particular church that it concerned a same-sex couple.

The bishops also agreed to also send a letter of protest to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, under whose canonical jurisdiction the Greek Orthodox Church of America lies.

The publicity surrounding the event, which was organized by two prominent Greek-American men in the Hollywood fashion industry, is another reason why it seems to be so controversial, with one bishop telling Kathimerini that it “sent a message that is completely opposite to the teachings of the Greek Orthodox Church.”