Greek Church to wait for gay couples’ children to grow up to be baptised

Archbishop Ieronymos (right) and Archbishop Elpidophoros (left). Photo: orthodoxianewsagency.gr

The Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymos, said that the Church will not baptise the children of same-sex couples until they grow up and make their own decision to be baptised.

Asked by reporters about baptising children of gay couples, Archbishop Ieronymos stressed that "we must go back to tradition again".

"If baptism takes place at an early age of children, it is because the Church has formed the conviction that the child grows up in an environment of Christian principles. Therefore, there was no need for catechesis because it was conducted in that environment," the Archbishop recalled.

However, he continued, "Now the situation is changing". "We are not against children. We love and care for the children more than all the others. The Church will wait for these children to reach an age and when they grow up and wish to be baptized, they will be baptized," said the Primate of the Greek Church.

It is noteworthy that Archbishop Ieronymos was attended by Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, who, in response to the same question, said: "I absolutely agree with what His Beatitude said. Because we read the same Gospel, we teach the same Gospel, and there could not be any different opinion on this matter."

Earlier, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America baptised two children of a same-sex "family" during a visit to Greece. This situation caused a scandal in Greece.

The Greek Church intended to complain to Patriarch Bartholomew because Archbishop Elpidophoros did not inform Metropolitan Antonios of Glyfada that the children's parents were sodomites.

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