The Holy Community of Mount Athos issued an announcement on the occasion, as it points out, of recent public statements by clergymen of the Church, “even hierarchs”, which “give the impression that it is possible for the Church to accept any form of a family other than that established by the Holy Gospel”.
Particularly it notes, among other things, that “It is clearly alien to the teaching of the Gospel and the Orthodox ethos to be implied that a “homosexual couple” can be considered as a family and be granted the right to adopt children, as any such form of adoption or foster care is contrary to the gospel teaching, human nature but also to the ethos and traditions of our people, while at the same time violating the basic rights of innocent defenseless people, who do not have the ability to choose a normal family environment.”