There is absolute respect for the government in the Church, we hear all opinionsthe government spokesman told Sky 100.3 commenting on the intervention of Archbishop Hieronymosin which the head of the Greek church recommended a referendum solution on the issue. In our country, said Mr. Marinakis, speaking to Vassilis Chiotis and Notis Papadopoulos, rights issues are not resolved by referendums. The opinion of the people is expressed through elections, on our agenda the issue was high, in our pre-election engagements this specific issue was highhe said.

In more detail, Mr. Marinakis said: “There is absolute respect for the government in the church.

Obviously, we listen with total respect to the views as a whole because its contribution is timeless and especially in times of crisis these years for the support of the citizens.
From now on.
First of all in our country rights issues are not resolved by referendums. So there is no such issue
The opinion of the Greek people is expressed in the national elections which the parties come down with their programs and they are either approved or rejected.
Ours was passed by a large majority.

In our program there was LGBT rights agenda +. And the specific bill is also a pre-election commitment.

No mood for confrontation with the Archbishop.

It’s an argument we hear from others too, how will children grow up with two moms and dads.

At the moment many children are raised with two mothers and two fathers, and it does not mean that two men or a heterosexual couple are a priori unsuitable.
Since 1946 a man and a woman can adopt a child alone and enter into a cohabitation agreement and raise it together (with a person of the same sex). But the child’s rights have not been regulated and the child may end up in an institution.

Most will be screened like heterosexual couples and both candidates for adoption if they are suitable whereas now only one of the two is actually screened
So it’s not something that doesn’t happen. Matters are regulated for the benefit of children.

DOES THE CHURCH INFLUENCE MPS AND CITIZENS HOWEVER?

One cannot tell the church whether he will speak and what he will say.

She has the right to express her opinions.
But we are clear. With absolute respect to the church, there is executive power in the country. She proposes a bill and it is up to the MPs to approve it. And we have every reason to be optimistic that it will be voted on.

Mr. Marinakis added that families with same-sex couples have already been formed in our country, while the issue will be discussed next week in the cabinet, in order to follow the process of consultation and finally the vote at the beginning of February by the Parliament.

Ieronymos: Referendum on same-sex couples

Earlier, Archbishop Hieronymos had proposed that a referendum be held on the marriage of same-sex couples according to opening ceremony of the 2nd Primary School of Nea Makris.

Asked, among others, by journalists, about marriage and childbearing by same-sex couples as well as about his secret meeting with the prime minister, the Archbishop clarified that the meeting he had with the prime minister was about another matter and that we will hear the Church’s official position on the issue of same-sex couples on Tuesday.

“They’re exaggerating things a bit. This does not correspond to reality. Discussions took place, but they had another object. The Church wants to be more open to the world and wants to cooperate with the state, to help young children who want to study and cannot find a home and the family cannot pay. The second, we all say we don’t have children…, they don’t give them homes to enter. And there the Church should make an offer and even more so the young couples who want to start a family and cannot. That’s what we talked about.”

Moreover, on the current issue of same-sex marriage, childbearing and the attitude of the Church he said: “Why not hold a Referendum? Wouldn’t that be a suggestion too?’but he emphasized that the Hierarchy will decide on the position of the Church, which must inform the flock.

“In such matters, the Archbishop cannot take a stand alonenor the prime minister”, pointed out and added: “The flock must be informed, we must know what we are asking for and why we are asking for it and who is making us ask for it. Well, this is what the world must understand and see that those children who will come, I don’t know how they will be, how they will live in a family that will have two fathers, two mothers, how he will wake up in the morning inside the house and what he will see around him and a society that is created anew we do not reject it, we see trends in that direction. In such a society everyone has the right to pervert it and do with it as they want and don’t the rest of us have the right to say that we don’t like this thing? It’s a matter of society.”

Finally, he emphasized that “the Church will not take up arms to do anything. But he has a duty to inform the world and each of us should not think about such big issues what the right will say, what the left will say, what will the centrist faction say?, but to think about what kind of society and what kind of family we want. We will inform our people and if people want direction we will take it, but we have an obligation to inform”.