Canberra, June 2, 2015
"The position of the Orthodox Church worldwide -
not only in Australia - can never depart from the teaching
of Holy Scripture."
Archbishop Stylianos
In last Saturday’s referendum the Catholic Ireland became the 19th nation in the world to legalize gay marriage, with a turnout exceeding 62 percent, and 3.2 million people voting in its favor. While Ireland has traditionally been seen as a staunchly Catholic nation, the legislation heavily supported in the Irish parliament is expected to go into effect by the end of the year.
As reported on neoskosmos.com, within days of the referendum, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten announced that the wheels are in motion in the Australian parliament as well. Labor intends to introduce a bill in favor of gay marriage, and Prime Minister Tony Abbott is preparing the way for a vote in the Liberal party room which could lead to an August parliamentary vote.
The Irish referendum has also been met with approval by the gay Greek community in Australia which hopes to see such changes in their own country. The anonymous administrator of the Greek and Gay Facebook in Australia spoke with Neos Kosmos of separation of Church and State in Australia, claiming that “The Church is entitled to its own opinions as are we [but] the marriage act changes proposed, solely impact on civil marriage – and as such do not impact on any Church in Australia.”
He further lamented that the older Greek generation in Australia, such as his own mother, is not receiving their message kindly.
However, as Greek Orthodox Archbishop Stylianos of Australia noted, the views of such older Greeks are rooted firmly in the Orthodox Tradition. "The position of the Orthodox Church worldwide - not only in Australia - can never depart from the teaching of Holy Scripture. The union between a man and a woman in the sacrament of marriage reflects the union between Christ and His Church," the Archbishop told Neos Kosmos.
The Archbishop also said this week that the Church's position on marriage requires "an adequate understanding of how the term 'marriage' is understood, not only in the community of the faithful, but also its broader societal implications."
"Our purpose is not that government legislation should become a 'tool' to impose Christian ethics upon fellow citizens who do not share our beliefs. This of course would not be legitimate, given that we respect the free will of all.”
Greek Australian senator Nick Xenophon stated on the issue, “It is a conscience vote for me. I regard the right of a person to hold their religious beliefs as fundamental in a free society. But beyond religion and religious beliefs, I also believe in the law, and our laws should apply equally to all.” He also said that a conscience vote could take place within weeks while a referendum could be as much as two years away.
While the Greek gay community laments the unchanging values of older Greek immigrants, the latter are holding to the traditions of the Orthodoxy Church while the Greek gay community is not. As Archbishop Stylianos furthered stated, “The very institution of marriage, which has a Christian tradition of two entire millennia, should remain as it is, and not be confused with the political debate concerning the legal status of same-sex unions."
