Thessaloniki, June 19, 2026
Photo: protothema.gr
Hundreds gathered in Thessaloniki last week to march in opposition to gay marriage, which has been legal in Greece since February 2024 and whose constitutionality was reaffirmed by the courts in March 2026.
The peaceful protest, titled Respect for the Greek Orthodox Family, took place on June 13, starting at the statue of Alexander the Great on the New Waterfront and concluding outside the Church of Hagia Sophia, reports the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
A resolution approved at the event calls for the abolition of the gay marriage law, an end to Pride events in Thessaloniki, and a revision of sex education in schools.
Greetings were sent by His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythira (Church of Greece), His Eminence Metropolitan Tychikos, formerly of Paphos (Church of Cyprus), the cell-dwelling Fathers of the Holy Mountain, and the Center for Patristic Studies.
Political greetings came from the Greek Solution party, the Democratic Patriotic Movement Niki, the National Front, and independent MP Nikolaos Papadopoulos.
Speakers included retired Major General Dimitrios Kampisioulis, who addressed demographics and the family; energy consultant Theodosios Theodosius, who spoke on the consequences of gender transition; an economics student who voiced youth concerns about the institution of the family; and Michail Tsakiridis of the Coordinating Committee of Greek Orthodox Families.
Participating organizations included Agia Emmeleia-Protection of the Unborn Child, SFEVA, Greek Orthodox Youth, the journal Parakatathiki, and numerous monasteries from northern Greece.
The resolution also calls on the Church administration not to honor at ecclesiastical events politicians who voted for the same-sex marriage law or who participate in Pride parades.
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