“Children of same-sex couples will be baptized when grown up,” says Archbishop of Greece (POLL)

An odd announcement by the Archbishop of the Church of Greece about children of same-sex couples and baptism: “The Church will wait for them to grow up and if they wish, they will be baptized,” the leader of Greek Church, Archbishop Ieronymos has said on Thursday, media reported.

“We love and care about children more than anyone else. 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,” the Archbishop allegedly said during a meeting with the Archbishop of America Elpidoforos.

The statement comes amid a heated debate regarding the government plan to allow civil marriage of same-sex couples and their options to parenthood. A legislation that has been unanimously rejected by the Holy Synod two days ago.

Ieronymos did not specify whether his baptism proposal will be adopted as the official position of the Church of Greece neither the age of the children will be considered as “grown up” or what will happen when same-sex couples will want to have their children baptized.

“We have to go back to tradition again,” the Archbishop reportedly said adding ” if children are baptized at an early age, it is because within the Church the feeling was created that the child grows up in an environment of Christian principles. Therefore there was no need for indoctrination, because it took place within this environment. Now that things are changing… we are not against children. We love and care about children more than anyone else. 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.”

“I have nothing to add, His Beatitude said it all,” Archbishop Elpidoforos has commented on the same issue.

It is recalled that Elpidofors came under fire by the Greek Church when in July 2012 he baptized the two children of a same-sex couple of Greek-Americans in Athens.

PS A Church that stigmatizes children in a mainly conservative society, it excludes and punishes the children of same-sex couples?

What comes next in the logic of Ieronymos? A generalized officially banning infant baptism? Because if it concerns only children of the same-sex couples then this is a blatant discrimination that could take the Church to the Court of Human Rights.

How about the children of atheists who did not “grew up in christian tradition and principles?” Will they be allowed to reverse their baptizing at very early age?

POLL

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We are very curious and anticipate clarifications by the Archbishop of Greece in the following days.