Filenews 24 May 2023 - by Despina Psillou
The Church and the LGBTQ community exchanged fire ahead of an amendment to the penal code on the basis of a bill criminalizing pseudo-conversion therapies. Gender is determined by the physiology of the body and is not a choice, self-determination or change at will, says the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus, which met yesterday under Archbishop George of Cyprus. In a statement, the Synod calls on MPs not to expose what is healthy left in this place. Accept LGBTQI Cyprus says this is an implicit admission by the Church that it commits such torture and calls on MPs to respect diversity and human rights.
In particular, the Holy Synod states that it remains faithful to the teaching of the Bible that two sexes, "male and female, were created by God". He also considers gender to be a gift that serves the mystery of life. The introduction of the article on pseudo-conversion therapies into the Penal Code amounts to levelling the right to free religious expression and beliefs of the Cypriot people, which are protected by Articles 18 and 19 of the Constitution of Cyprus and the European Convention on Human Rights.
Based on this, the Holy Synod considers that firstly, the religious freedom of man, which is guaranteed by Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights for the free and unhindered expression of religious beliefs, is violated and criminalized. Secondly, he says, the centuries-old tradition of our country, which wants believers to resort to counselling in the Church, is criminalized. Thirdly, the inalienable right of man to decide freely, to choose and to seek, within the framework of legality and religious freedom, support and spiritual guidance on highly personal and sensitive issues is criminalized.
"The Church cannot be forced into silence for the sake of globalization and the so-called new world order. The citizen's right to freely express his views and lifestyle choices is respected by the Constitution and the laws." However, it should be reflected in the ethos and values of the Church and the majority of Orthodox Christian citizens of society.
"Under the pretext of protecting human rights, a group of people cannot impose its way of life on others, nor should the work of protecting human rights serve political or other interests of electioneering or public visibility," the Holy Synod stresses. It states that the Church is the mother of all without exception, it does not condemn. "The spiritual degeneration of society is not the best thing for a people fighting for their national survival," he concludes.
For its part, the organization Accept LGBTI Cyprus responds to the announcement of the Summit, stating that it was convened two days before the adoption of the proposal for a law on the criminalization of universally recognized as torture "pseudo-conversion therapies" in order to influence the consciences of MPs and believers. It cites an attempt to distort the essence of the law, which is an end to LGBTIQ torture "in supposedly an attempt by LGBTIQ people to silence the Church." No mention, says the organization, "was made of the harm caused to LGBTI people by the methods of matchmaking, hormone therapy, cultivation of self-hatred, tonsures to monks and ordination to priests of many gay people, etc. The letter clearly shows the implicit admission of the Church that she commits such torture under the pretext of saving man."
In addition, Accept LGBTQI secretary and lawyer, Stefanos Angelides, notes to "F" that the articles cited by the Church must be satisfied to such an extent that they do not affect the right to health. He called on MPs not to be influenced, protecting that each person is unique and that the uniqueness of the individual must be respected.
