For more than 20 years, Stavros Gavriliadis and Dimitrios Elefsiniotis have been building a life together. They bought a house and started a family. But under Greek law, they couldn’t marry or both be recognized as the parents of their three children—until this week. Greece’s parliament voted on Thursday to extend equal marriage and automatic parental … Read more
Greece on Thursday became the first majority Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex marriage — a watershed moment for the country’s LGBTQ community, which has long fought for visibility and rights in the shadow of the highly influential Greek church. The bill also allows same-sex couples to adopt children and confers full parental rights on … Read more
ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s parliament is set to vote Thursday to legalize same-sex civil marriage, in a first for an Orthodox Christian country and despite opposition from the influential Greek Church. Opinion polls suggest that most Greeks support the proposed reform, and the issue has failed to trigger deep divisions in a country more worried … Read more
ATHENS, Greece — Lawmakers begin a debate Wednesday on a landmark bill to legalize same-sex marriage that would make Greece the first Orthodox Christian country to do so. The Valentine’s Day session in parliament follows vocal opposition and protests from the church but also a shift in public opinion which – while still divided – … Read more
ATHENS, Greece — Years before starting a family of her own, Stella Belia was already waging a tireless campaign for legal recognition. Her fight may finally be over this week — a few months shy of her twin boys’ 17th birthday. Greek lawmakers are expected to legalize same-sex marriage in a parliament vote Thursday, with … Read more
ATHENS, Greece — More than 1,500 protesters gathered in central Athens on Sunday to oppose legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in Greece. The bill is set for a vote in parliament in days. Greece’s conservative government is sponsoring the bill but it will require votes from center and left opposition parties to be approved. … Read more
ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s center-right government said Thursday it would fulfill a commitment to legalize same-sex marriage, sidestepping staunch opposition from the country’s influential Orthodox Church. The legislation would be brought to parliament during the house’s current term, which ends in 2027, said government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis. The statement comes after the Church’s governing Holy … Read more
ROME — Pope Francis’ green light for Catholic priests to offer blessings to same-sex couples is in many ways a recognition of what has been happening in some European parishes for years. But his decision to officially spell out his approval could send a message of tolerance to places where gay rights are far more … Read more
ROME — ROME (AP) — Pope Francis formally approved letting Catholic priests bless same-sex couples, the Vatican announced Monday, a radical shift in policy that aimed at making the church more inclusive while maintaining its strict ban on gay marriage. But while the Vatican statement was heralded by some as a step toward breaking down … Read more
ROME — The Vatican document explicitly saying Catholic priests can bless same-sex unions lays out the conditions for what such blessings can, and cannot, involve. The overall goal is to make it abundantly clear to the couple and those around them that the blessing is not a liturgical or sacramental ritual, and that it in … Read more