Mt. Athos, October 9, 2017
Photo: afonit.info The Sacred Community of Mt. Athos has sent a letter to the Ministers of Education and Justice of the Greek Republic in connection with the scandalous new bill proposing to allow anyone 15 years or older to legally change his sex simply by letter, reports AgionOros.
With their letters, the representatives of the 20 Athonite monasteries have joined the society and Church-wide protests against the new draft law, which was ratified by Greek parliament in its first reading.
“In connection with the proposed bill, we are engulfed by unease as to what the future is preparing for us. Is it really permissible in our Orthodox fatherland to legally and blatantly defy Divine law? So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (Gen. 1:27).”
“We ask all deputies and members of the government to ensure that such a law not be adopted. We propose that the best solution is to withdrawal the bill and send it back for revision.”
The Sacred Community also supported the parents who are protesting the Ministry of Education’s new and widespread materials for teaching religion. The Athonite monks expressed outrage over the fact that, unlike representatives of religious minorities, who receive confession-oriented education, those from Orthodox families are propagandized with the idea “that all religious are equal,” thereby “inducing them towards agnosticism and atheism.”
The Athonites finished their letters with the words of St. Paisios the Athonite: “In these difficult times, every one of us must do whatever is humanly possible, and what is humanly impossible, leave to the will of God. Thus our consciences will be calm, because we have done what we could. If we do not resist, then our ancestors will rise from their graves.”
The majority of Greek parliamentary parties have spoken out in favor of the scandalous bill. Only members of the Communist party and the “Golden Dawn” movement have wholly voted against the bill.
“Independent Greeks” Deputy Kostas Katsikis has also opposed the proposed law, in contrast to his fellow party members. He emphasized that “the new law is a threat to the avaton of the Holy Mountain—a ban has been fixed since ancient times on women visiting Athos.” The deputy also demanded a ban on those who have undergone a sex-change adopting children.
In a recent homily, Metropolitan Nicholas of Phthiotis stated that the normalization of adoption by homosexual couples is precisely the underlying purpose for this new bill: “Today they tell us that God did not create man and woman, driving the idea from the minds of our children. Every man can easily become a woman, and every woman a man. Do you know why they are doing this?” His Eminence rhetorically asked. “They want to ensure, at any cost, that homosexuals will be able to adopt children,” he answered.
For his part, Metropolitan Kosmas of Aetolia strongly stated, “You are promoting a bill which denies the Triune God and Creator and casts blasphemy upon Him. This new law is unnatural, it encroaches upon the psychosomatic identity of the person, fosters depravity, and aims to thwart a person on his path to sanctification and deification.
“The bones of our saints and heroes are trembling! The great liberator of Greece the equal-to-the-apostles Kosmas of Aetolia and our other saints are weeping.”
The Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church met on Thursday to respond to the bill, stating, in part, “The proposed bill arouses emotions in society, attacks the sacred institution of the family, contradicts good morals and common sense and destroys man. Instead of diminishing confusion and mental disorders, it will increase them and give rise to a dangerous social phenomenon, especially when it creates an explosive situation in schools as well.
The primate of the Greek Orthodox Church Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens has also spoken out against the bill, saying, “All that is game playing. The Church has its own views. Our homeland has its own traditions, it has the family, everything else is just contrivances so that we waste our time.”
In addition to a multitude of parliamentarians, the scandalous bill has also been supported by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who also was recently the target of an Athonite protest. Black flags with the inscription “Keep the Antichrists off the Holy Mountain” have been posted in the Athonite monastery of Dochariou as a protest against the previously-planned visit of the prime minister to the Holy Mountain.
