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Thursday, March 7, 2013
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Gays urged to fight ‘addiction’ Church speaks out on cremation, civil partnerships and periods By Peter Stevenson
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HE HOLY Synod said yesterday it opposed draft legislation which regulates cremation and allows civil partnerships, and seemed to hint strongly it still upheld a mediaeval objection to the attendance in church of menstruating women. It also said the church opposed a proposed change in schools which would see students no longer obliged to take religious studies. Speaking about civil partnerships, Paphos Metropolitan Georgios said that laws cannot determine what is right and wrong and that the church could not condone any partnership outside of an official church wedding. “The church cannot accept the cohabitation of people of the same sex because Holy Scripture speaks of two sexes, male and female, that God created,” he said. “The church advises those who have an addiction to homosexuality to fight against their urges as they would fight against any other passions. The goal of any law should not only be to regulate social differences or the satisfaction of desires, but to educate people correctly.” Asked if the Holy Synod was completely opposed to cremation, the Paphos Metropolitan explained that it is difficult for the church to be completely against cremation as God could resurrect
the dead from their ashes during the Second Coming. He said the subject of cremating the dead was not related to the Orthodox doctrine but rather about the church’s traditions. It is upon this tradition, he added, that the church placed its foundations and recommended the faithful accept the church’s suggestion about cremation, saying that he would not perform a funeral ceremony for anyone who plans to be cremated. The cabinet recently passed a draft bill to enable couples to have a legally recognised relationship outside of marriage. A civil partnership allows a couple, living together but not married, to register their relationship with authorities so they can have the same obligations and rights as married couples. The government also approved draft legislation regulating cremation in January. Metropolitan Georgios revealed that the Holy Synod had also discussed complaints aimed at comments made by the recently appointed MEP Andreas Pitsilides who is also a theologian. Although the metropolitan did not divulge the details of what the Holy Synod objected to, Pitsilides said he believed they were displeased with his recent comments in support of cremation and
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Archbishop Chrysostomos II with Education Minister Kyriacos Kenevezos at the Holy Synod yesterday
Duchess of Cambridge hints at royal baby’s gender THE Duchess of Cambridge’s big hint in Grimsby that she is expecting a girl has caused huge excitement among royal fans. Kate reportedly stopped herself from saying the word “daughter” as she accepted a teddy bear from a well-wisher during a trip to Grimsby. But her uncharacteristic slip was repeated again during her visit - although the second time she suggested her unborn baby was a boy. When the Duchess, who is five months pregnant, was asked by another wellwisher if her baby had been kicking, she replied “he” had. Kate, 31, first let her guard down after being handed a soft toy by a member
of the public. Sandra Cook, who was standing next to the woman who gave the Duchess the present, said she overheard her say: “Thank you, I will take that for my d...” before stopping herself. Cook, 67, told the Times: “I said to her ‘You were going to say daughter, weren’t you?’ and she said ‘No, we don’t know’. I said ‘Oh I think you do’, to which she said ‘We’re not telling’.” Kate met the women outside the National Fishing Heritage Centre in Grimsby where crowds had waited to catch a glimpse of the royal. Her baby bump was visible beneath a three-quarter length Hobbs coat and during her time in the Lincolnshire town she
also visited a fire station and a school. Inside the fishing museum the Duchess met more local people including Katy Forrester, who told the Grimsby Telegraph: “I swear she said it was a boy.” William, whose father Prince Charles is heir to the throne, married Kate in April 2011, and the couple’s movements attract huge interest around the world. A spokeswoman for William’s office said they had no comment on reports about the baby, due to be born in July. Britain and other Commonwealth countries which have Queen Elizabeth as their monarch have agreed to change the rules of royal succession so that males would no longer have precedence as heir to the throne.