Greek priest threw out a deputy from the temple and criticized the authorities for the same-sex marriage law

In the Greek city of Larissa, the celebration of the Life-Giving Spring in the Tampakika district church was marked by a curious incident: a local clergyman interrupted the Liturgy to strongly protest against the actions of the authorities. The object of criticism was the ruling party MP Christos Kellas, who was present at the service. This is reported by the publication Vima Orthodoxias.

The conflict began when the priest noticed the politicians in the traditional places of honor in the front of the temple. He immediately demanded that the authorities move to the back of the hall, stating, «I told you to sit in the back.» The clergyman accused the parliamentarians of visiting the church only twice a year solely for the sake of creating a favorable image, while failing to provide real support to the church and the local people.

The verbal attack continued with a discussion of economic and social issues. The priest harshly criticized the high incomes of the deputies, claiming that these funds are not used for the good of society. Particular attention was paid to the recent passage of a marriage law for same-sex couples, for which the clergyman held the present deputy Kellas personally responsible.

The incident caused a split among the congregation: while some of the faithful supported the clergyman’s words with applause, many others expressed deep disappointment that a religious celebration had turned into a field for political controversy. Opponents of such behavior noted that the temple is not an appropriate place for such aggressive statements, regardless of the political views of the parties.

Recall, earlier we reported that on February 15, 2024, the Greek Parliament voted for the adoption of the bill on the legalization of same-sex marriage and the right to adopt children by LGBT couples. Thus Greece became the 37th country in the world and the first Orthodox state to legalize LGBT partnerships at the state level.