Morphou, Cyprus, September 4, 2019
philenews.com
Cypriot police have found no criminal offense in His Eminence Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou’s statements on homosexuality that created quite a stir both at home and internationally last month, thus it is unlikely he will be prosecuted, reports philenews.
The case file was thus sent to the Legal Service with a recommendation not to prosecute and is being examined by the Attorney General.
As OrthoChristian previously reported, the commotion began after video surfaced in which Met. Neophytos told the story of a young man who gave up his sinful, homosexual lifestyle after being rebuked by a monk to whom God revealed the man’s sin. When the young man asked how the monk knew of his sinful acts, the monk replied that his sins emitted a foul stench.
Met. Neophytos also relayed a teaching that he attributed to St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia, the great 20th-century saint, that the passion of homosexuality can sometimes be traced to unnatural sexual acts committed by parents while the child was in the womb. The passion that arises in the mother’s soul thus has an effect on that of the child in her womb.
The Metropolitan was called upon to give a written statement on the matter as part of the investigation, wherein he clarified that the relevant statements were made not during the planned part of his speech, but came only in response to a question posted to him from the audience. He also reiterated that he was repeating a teaching of St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia.
Upon examining the case file, the Attorney General, who called for the investigation in the first place, has the option of agreeing or disagreeing with the conclusion of the police.
In turn, the call for an investigation was prompted by Costas Gavriilides, advisor to the Cypriot President on Multiculturalism, Acceptance, and Respect for Diversity, who was concerned that the metropolitan “instigates and promotes intolerance towards the LGBTI community, while at the same time insulting parents of homosexuals and targeting mainly their mothers.”
Met. Neophytos has received support from some hierarchs and criticism from others. Most recently, His Grace Bishop Christophoros of Karpasia of the Cypriot Church came out in his defense, stating that the moves against Met. Neophytos caused him much grief.
“The Metropolitan of Morphou said some truths. He said that people who are enslaved to carnality twill not inherit the Kingdom of God,” the bishop said.
“The enemies of the Church began to fight [Met. Neophytos], and many Christians joined them,” Bp. Christophoros lamented.
