Sofia, August 8, 2024
bg-patriarshia.bg
The Holy Synod of the of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church is pleased with the federal parliament’s move to adopt a law banning LGBTQ+ propaganda in the country’s schools.
The law passed on Wednesday with support from 135 out of 240 MPs, including from the pro-EU center-right GERB party, according to Balkan Insight.
On Thursday, the Bulgarian Synod issued the following statement in response:
The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church-Bulgarian Patriarchate expresses its gratitude to the members of Parliament for reaching an agreement on values of common importance for Bulgarian society, such as the upbringing, education, and protection of Bulgaria’s children.
We are satisfied with the legal prohibition in the preschool and school education system of actions related to propaganda, promotion, or incitement in any way, directly or indirectly, of ideas and views associated with non-traditional sexual orientation and/or gender identity different from the biological one.
The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church-Bulgarian Patriarchate defends a consistent position on the concepts of “gender,” “marriage,” “family,” as well as the need for spiritual and moral upbringing, education, and protection of children, based on the teaching of Christ’s Church about humans as God’s greatest creation.
The Holy Synod has had many occasions in recent years to reiterate its position that for Christianity, there is only one concept of gender, which stems from the biological structure (nature) of humans as God’s creation, and that marriage and family, understood as a God-blessed union between a man and a woman, are an age-old inviolable value for Christianity. At the foundation of all positive law, there must be natural human law, which in turn is based on divine law, embedded in the nature of creation by its Creator.
We are convinced that issues regarding gender, family, upbringing, and education of children in modern society are of strategic importance not only for the national and constitutional identity of Bulgaria as a member of the European Union but also for the preservation and future of the Bulgarian people and the entire human race. Studies in Bulgaria show that these are the attitudes and understandings of the majority of Bulgarian citizens.
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church, as a caring mother for the Bulgarian people, shares the concerns and worries of many parents and educators about the contemporary problems of child-rearing in our society.
We believe that the initiated unity among political forces regarding the restriction of ideologies contrary to Christian morality and sound human reason in the preschool and school education system will find its continuation in other legislative initiatives beneficial for the upbringing and education of children—the future of Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian Synod has repeatedly defended the Church’s teaching on sex, gender, and sexual orientation, most recently in June, when it issued a statement against the annual Sofia Pride parade.
The Holy Synod has also produced its own series of text books, which carry the stamp of approval of the Ministry of Education and Science.
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