On Wednesday, Greece's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, finalized a bill to legalize same-sex marriage and improve LGBTQ+ rights in a bid to end discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Greece has implemented a series of reforms over the past decade to improve LGBT+ rights in the country where the Orthodox Church has traditionally opposed equal rights for same-sex couples.
Mitsotakis Finalizes Same-Sex Marriage Bill
Mitsotakis, who was trying to distance himself from the stereotypical conservative leader, has developed a national LGBTQ+ rights agenda that may win support from the left but create opposition in more conservative quarters.
In an interview with state broadcaster ERT, he said that they will pass marriage equality, which also means eliminating discrimination. He added that it was not something revolutionary different from what applies in other European countries.
According to the LGBT+ community, Greece's prior reforms fell short of their expectations. Greece accepted cohabitation agreements in 2015 for same-sex couples, providing certain rights and benefits, but they are still not permitted to adopt or have children together.
The Orthodox Church opposes marriage among LGBTQ+ people, and about 80-90% of the country's 11 million population identify as Greek Orthodox.
"We are talking about a civil marriage, not a religious one," Mitsotakis said without providing further details on when the bill will be submitted to parliament for a vote.
Mitsotakis may face challenges on the bill as his party and cabinet opposed the measure. The bill will allow child adoption but not surrogate parenthood.
He added that they will not experiment with more advanced ideas.
In January, a Greek survey by Alco pollsters showed that 35% agreed and 49% opposed it, while 16% declined to respond. The majority of dissenters oppose same-sex couples adopting children or acting as surrogate parents.
Mitsotakis noted that there would be enough time for public consultation to win over citizens and MPs of his party.
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Vatican Approves Blessing for Same-Sex Couples
According to Reuters, Pope Francis approved a landmark ruling that Roman Catholic priests can administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies.
Francis made hints that a formal shift was in the works in October in response to inquiries made by five conservative cardinals during the opening of the Vatican's synod of bishops.
The eight-page statement released Monday, with the caption "On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings," was more nuanced than the October response. It listed specific situations in an 11-point section titled "Blessings of Couples in Irregular Situations and of Couples of the Same Sex."
According to Church doctrine, same-sex attraction is not sinful, but homosexual acts are. Francis has worked to make the more than 1.35-billion-member Church more welcoming to LGBTQ+ people without changing moral doctrine.
