Nicosia, June 14, 2023
Photo: dialogos.com.cy
The Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus calls on the faithful to speak out against the abuse of sacred icons by participants in the recent “pride parade” in Nicosia.
According to Cyprus Mail, hundreds of people participated in the march held late last month under the slogan, “Together We Thrive.” Cyprus Pride 2023 spanned 10 days altogether.
Following their session today, the hierarchs stated:
The Synod dealt with the presentation of falsified icons of the Theotokos and saints as well as photographs of heroes of the Greek nation, during the so-called “pride parade,” which show the greatest disrespect towards our sacred and holy things and are an affront to human dignity. The Synod calls on the people to show their aversion to such situations, staying true to what we received from our ancestors.
However, it is unclear exactly what images the Synod is referring to. Dialogos.com writes that “these images condemned by the Holy Synod were neither from the pride march, nor from Cyprus...” but provides no further information or substantiation.
This is not the first time the Cypriot Synod has addressed such issues. In May 2014, it condemned the plans to hold the first ever “pride parade” in Cyprus at the end of that month, saying: “The Church and science consider homosexuality as a fall and illness of the human person, and not a natural way of life or choice. This is why they recommend proper treatment and therapy and oppose institutional and social support and acceptance.”
And last month, as Cyprus Pride was underway, the Synod condemned the proposal to criminalize the conversion therapies aimed at helping those suffering from same-sex attraction, gender dysphoria, and other similar problems.
However, the members of Parliament ignored the voice of the Church and passed the law.
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