Churches in a Greek diocese began ringing their bells Sunday to start a week of protest against a law allowing people to change their gender.
Greek Orthodox clerics under the direction of Bishop Amvrosios of Kalavryta directed their churches to start ringing their bells for three minutes every day at noon, beginning Sunday, to mourn the passing of a new law that allows Greek citizens to legally identify as whichever gender they choose, according to the Associated Press. Greece’s legislature passed the law Oct. 10, to the chagrin of the church and conservative lawmakers who decried the law as “immoral” and a “monstrosity,” according to Reuters.
“It is an outrageous inspiration for someone to change his gender in a few minutes, with a simple declaration, so contrary to what God has gifted people with … whoever has ‘gender dysphoria’ is mentally ill,” said a statement approved by the clerics of Kalavryta diocese.
“We do not hate the sinner, but the sin” the statement added.
The clerics not only lambasted transgenderism, but also homosexuality and “every kind of bestial deviation.” The clerics also warned that with the legal acceptance of transgender identity, instead of treating it as a mental illness as Greek authorities had heretofore done, acceptance of homosexual unions in Greece may be on the horizon.
Conservative lawmakers like Simos Kedikoglou decried not only the new law, but also Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ support of the law.
“Your only goal is to stay in power. You’ve found various methods of deception and this bill is the latest proof,” Kedikoglou said according to Reuters.
The clerics also said they will display protest banners in the city of Aigion, which is the largest city in Kalavryta, and call for lawmakers to repeal the “anti-Christian and anti-Greek” transgender law.
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