The Romanian Patriarchate has issued a strong public statement expressing its opposition to an initiative aimed at legalising prostitution, warning that such a move fundamentally contradicts Orthodox Christian teaching and respect for human dignity.
“The Patriarchate expresses deep concern and disapproval regarding an initiative aimed at legalising prostitution, considering such an approach incompatible with Orthodox Christian teaching and with respect for human dignity,” the statement reads.
According to the Romanian Patriarchate, prostitution constitutes “a serious form of exploitation and commercialisation of the human body for financial gain,” with “profound negative consequences for both the individual and society as a whole.” The Church stresses that legalisation does not address the underlying social wounds linked to prostitution, but instead worsens them: “The legalisation of this practice does not lead to the healing of the painful social realities associated with prostitution; on the contrary, it encourages their proliferation, contributing to the disregard for human dignity and to the moral degradation of society.”
The statement also recalls Romania’s international commitments, noting that the country is a signatory to the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons, which explicitly states that prostitution is “incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person and endangers the well-being of the individual, the family and the community.” As the Patriarchate emphasizes, the convention obliges signatory states to prohibit organised prostitution.
Grounding its position in Scripture and Church teaching, the Romanian Patriarchate underlines that “the teaching of Holy Scripture and of the Orthodox Church consistently affirms the incompatibility of prostitution with spiritual life” (cf. Deuteronomy 23:17; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). It further reminds that, from a Christian perspective, the human body is a “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19), and that “any form of sexual exploitation or degrading use of the body constitutes a serious violation of personal dignity,” with lasting physical, psychological, and spiritual consequences.
Addressing arguments often put forward in favour of legalisation, the Patriarchate firmly rejects the claim that it would curb trafficking or exploitation. “The legalisation of prostitution will not lead to the eradication of human trafficking, nor to the elimination of sexual exploitation, nor to the disappearance of illegal prostitution,” the statement warns. Instead, it highlights “a real risk that it would provide a legal framework conducive to the expansion of practices incompatible with human freedom and dignity.”
Concluding its message, the Romanian Patriarchate explains why it felt compelled to intervene publicly: “In this context, the Romanian Patriarchate considers it necessary to express a firm public position, in accordance with the teaching of Holy Scripture and the Holy Fathers, whenever legislative initiatives clearly contradict the moral values and the confession of faith of the Romanian Orthodox Church.”
Source: Patriarchate of Romania
