In a televised interview on ANT1, Metropolitan Ieronymos of Larissa and Tyrnavos voiced his reservations and concerns regarding the Greek Justice Ministry’s new regulation, which excludes same-sex male couples from the possibility of having children through surrogacy.
Although the regulation has been presented as a positive step, the Metropolitan warned that it might be more complex than it seems. “Something that appears positive may not be,” he noted. “Children of such unions, especially from abroad, have already been recognized by civil registries and recorded as children of male couples. Now, this regulation—what will it do about what has already been done? Will it have retroactive effect?” he asked.
Metropolitan Ieronymos questioned the sincerity and underlying intent of the measure, pointing to past instances where the Greek state was compelled to change its policies due to pressure from European institutions. “When the civil union agreement was introduced, its initial wording led us to the European Court and a subsequent condemnation, which forced Greece to expand the agreement to include same-sex couples,” he recalled. “I don’t know how strong the arguments are, or whether they are as genuine as they seem.”
Closing his remarks, the Metropolitan emphasized the distinction between legality and morality. “Just because something is legal does not mean it is moral,” he stated firmly.
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
