Orthodox Bishops Release Statement on Sexuality; Marriage

September 20, 2013

Orthodox Church Released Statement on marriage and sexuality Orthodox Church Released Statement on marriage and sexuality
    

In the final day of its annual meeting, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America issued the following statement on the Orthodox Church’s unchanging position on marriage and sexuality.

To our Orthodox Faithful

1. We, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, representing millions of Orthodox Christians in the United States of America, Canada and Central America, express our deep concern over recent actions on the part of our respective governments and certain societal trends concerning the status of marriage in our countries, in particular the legalization of same-sex unions.

2. The Orthodox Christian teaching on marriage and sexuality, firmly grounded in Holy Scripture, two millennia of Church Tradition, and Canon Law, holds that the sacrament of marriage consists in the union of a man and a woman, and that authentic marriage reflects the sacred unity that exists between Christ and His Bride, the Church.

3. Persons with homosexual orientation are to be cared for with the same mercy and love that is bestowed on all of humanity by our Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, the Church is a spiritual hospital, where we all are called to find the healing of our fallen humanity through Jesus Christ, who assumed human nature in order to restore it. All of us struggle with various passions, and it is only within the Church that we find the means of overcoming these passions with the assistance of God’s grace. Acting upon any sexual attraction outside of sacramental marriage, whether the attraction is heterosexual or homosexual, alienates us from God.

4. We exhort the clergy and faithful of the Orthodox Church to bear witness to the timeless teachings of Christ by striving for purity and holiness in their own lives, by instructing their families and communities in the precepts of the Holy Gospel, and by placing their trust in our Lord, who “has overcome the world.” (John 16.33)

5. Finally, we encourage our faithful to approach their parish priest or spiritual father with any questions or concerns about this statement and its practical repercussions in their daily lives.

The Assembly also released a statement on violence in the Middle East; and a message to the faithful.

In other business, the Assembly voted unanimously to re-elect Bishop Basil as secretary and Metropolitan Antony as treasurer. Archbishop Demetrios recognized and commended them for their devotion to the Assembly over the past three years. The Assembly also reviewed and approved the 2014 budget.

The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America is one of twelve bishops’ assemblies which have been established in different geographical regions throughout the world. It is made up of all the active, canonical Orthodox bishops of North and Central America, of every jurisdiction.

The Assembly expects to hold its next meeting in September 2014.

Greek Reporter

9/24/2013

See also
Metropolitan Isaiah on Recent SCOTUS Decision on Same-sex Marriage Metropolitan Isaiah on Recent SCOTUS Decision on Same-sex Marriage Metropolitan Isaiah on Recent SCOTUS Decision on Same-sex Marriage Metropolitan Isaiah (Greek Archdiocese) on Recent SCOTUS Decision on Same-sex Marriage
Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver
The fact that the First Amendment of our United States Constitution prohibits our government from interfering with the free exercise of religion means that no human law on the part of any of the three branches of government can negate or nullify or rise above the teachings and dogmas of our Judeo-Christian history of more than two thousand years. Any attempt by our government to do this would totally fail, as it did in Communist Russia and in Nazi Germany. Archpastoral Statements on the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Concerning Same-Sex Marriages Archpastoral Statements on the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Concerning Same-Sex Marriages Archpastoral Statements on the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Concerning Same-Sex Marriages Archpastoral Statements on the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Concerning Same-Sex Marriages
While this ruling marks a significant change in the way that homosexuality is regarded according to the civil statutes, it in no way affects the teaching and practice of the Orthodox Christian Church either in this country or anywhere else in the world. Statement from the Diocesan Chancery on the Contemporary Question of Homosexual Marriage to the Clergy and Flock of the Diocese Statement from the Diocesan Chancery on the Contemporary Question of Homosexual Marriage to the Clergy and Flock of the Diocese Statement from the Diocesan Chancery on the Contemporary Question of Homosexual Marriage to the Clergy and Flock of the Diocese Statement from the Diocesan Chancery on the Contemporary Question of Homosexual Marriage to the Clergy and Flock of the Diocese
Today the United States Supreme Court ruled that homosexual marriage is a constitutional right in the United States of America. Given the ubiquitous coverage the news media is providing on this issue it is important that our clergymen and parishioners fully understand the position of the Church in this regard.

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