First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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Without commenting on his previous remarks on homosexuality which had triggered a range of responses, Orthodox Bishop of Morphou Neophytos has issued a statement highlighting his respect to the ongoing police investigation....

Read the article and chat about it below...
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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Slow news day.
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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Police find no ground for criminal offence from Bishop’s anti-gay comments

Police have found no ground for criminal offence from comments made by Morphou Bishop Neophytos who has been accused of inciting hate speech against homosexuality, according to Phileleftheros.

It is now up to the Attorney General to give instructions since the police inquiry has been concluded and the file was forwarded on Monday to the island’s Legal Services.

The Morphou Bishop caused a storm back in June when he told an audience in Akaki that men are born homosexual if their mothers have — and enjoy — anal sex when pregnant with them. He also said that homosexual men ’emit an odour’.

The claims were widely reported in the local and foreign media triggering a rage of responses online.

Political parties had slammed the Bishop’s statements while government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou issued a written statement saying the remarks violated the legally protected principle of equality of all citizens and should be retracted.

In addition, a written statement by Maria Stylianou Lottidou, Commissioner for Administration and Protection of Human Rights, said the remarks were racist as they contained the elements of denigration and rejection.

Before giving a statement to police, the Orthodox Bishop had issued a statement highlighting his respect to the ongoing police investigation.

He had also called on people to draw upon the grace of the Virgin Mary and stressed that the prophetic words of modern saints show that the path of redemption begins from our personal repentance.

https://in-cyprus.com/police-find-no-gr ... -comments/
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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memory man wrote: Wed Sep 04, 2019 10:54 am Police find no ground for criminal offence from Bishop’s anti-gay comments

Police have found no ground for criminal offence from comments made by Morphou Bishop Neophytos who has been accused of inciting hate speech against homosexuality, according to Phileleftheros.

It is now up to the Attorney General to give instructions since the police inquiry has been concluded and the file was forwarded on Monday to the island’s Legal Services.

The Morphou Bishop caused a storm back in June when he told an audience in Akaki that men are born homosexual if their mothers have — and enjoy — anal sex when pregnant with them. He also said that homosexual men ’emit an odour’.

The claims were widely reported in the local and foreign media triggering a rage of responses online.

Political parties had slammed the Bishop’s statements while government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou issued a written statement saying the remarks violated the legally protected principle of equality of all citizens and should be retracted.

In addition, a written statement by Maria Stylianou Lottidou, Commissioner for Administration and Protection of Human Rights, said the remarks were racist as they contained the elements of denigration and rejection.

Before giving a statement to police, the Orthodox Bishop had issued a statement highlighting his respect to the ongoing police investigation.

He had also called on people to draw upon the grace of the Virgin Mary and stressed that the prophetic words of modern saints show that the path of redemption begins from our personal repentance.

https://in-cyprus.com/police-find-no-gr ... -comments/
So ,has he repented???
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

Post by Dominic »

Whilst I am glad that people aren't getting arrested for spouting unadulterated crap, some people do need to know when to shut up.
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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I think if everyone just ignored him, only his Sunday worshipers would of heard his ridiculous sermon, the thing is in the eyes of the Orthodox Church, homosexuality is an abomination , so I dont think he is going to change his views any time soon,
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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The best reaction is to just laugh at him. His views are from the dark ages but he’s entitled to have them.
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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Accept-LGBTI Group takes action against the bishop of Morphou at EU level

Cyprus LGBTI – Accept Group submitted a complaint to the European authorities denouncing the case of the bishop of Morphou Neophytos over his remarks on homosexuals. The letter refers to the events of the past few months when Bishop Neophytus in his publicly recorded speech on June 25, 2019, claimed that homosexuality could be passed on when pregnant women have and enjoy anal sex. Since then he had done other statements on the topic. The group also claims the actions and decisions of the Police and the general prosecutor as inappropriate. In particular, the letter states that “the police, during their conclusive statements of the investigation, determined that the Bishop is not in violation of any laws due to the fact that the words he used are not his but are driven from a Greek Orthodox Saint, Saint Porfirios. Finally, the Attorney General decided to endorse the conclusion of the police investigation claiming that the Bishop was paraphrasing and was answering a question from the crowd. He did not proceed further with the investigation nor taking it to court”.

It is stated that the basic freedoms of LGBTI individuals were violated. The purpose of the letter is “to create alliances that will help combat and eliminate such phenomena in the future”.

The group said the bishop’s remarks had prompted numerous people to come forward with testimonies about church officials promoting “conversion therapy” that for some had provoked suicidal thoughts.

Finally, Accept – Cyprus LGBTI states that “it will continue its protests at local and pan – European level with the aim of creating the right conditions to ensure respect for basic human rights for all LGBTI citizens of the Republic of Cyprus”.

The general prosecutor has received similar complaints in the past although this is the first time he has gone so far as to order a police inquiry. Instances of homophobic hate speech by senior clergymen were reported in 2016 and 2017 but no action was taken.

Cyprus was among the last EU member states to decriminalise homosexuality, doing so in 1998 under pressure from Brussels as it prepared to join the bloc. In the four years since the legislation came into force outlawing hate speech, there have been no legal proceedings in response to homophobic and transphobic comments.

Despite the innate social conservatism of Cypriot society, attitudes toward homosexuality have changed significantly in recent years, according to opinion polls.

In what was interpreted as a backhanded criticism of Neophytos from a senior fellow cleric, the bishop of Kyrenia, Chrysostomos, issued a statement saying it was not the place of clerics “to meddle in couples’ bedrooms”.

Chrysostomos said he had never heard of Orthodox Christian saints making references to “such matters in such details”.

But Neophytos has so far stood his ground. When asked by the Cyprus Mail why he had made the comments he said: “I expressed the position of the church and the position of the saints.”

Archbishop Chrysostomos said the controversial statements on homosexuality made by Morphou Bishop Neophytos do not represent him. The head of the church of Cyprus told daily Politis the bishop’s opinions “are clearly his personal opinions.”

https://in-cyprus.com/lgbt-group-takes- ... f-morphou/
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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I dont agree with his views, but surely people have a right to express those views, we used to go to speakers corner in Hyde park on a Sunday morning, back in the day, and every fruit cake opinion was heard there, the one thing that used to please me, was living in a country that allowed people to have freedom of speech.. once we define everything as a hate speech, then you might as well call your self's North Korea.
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

Post by WHL »

Happy in Cyprus wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 12:05 pm The defining difference in this instance is that he is a Bishop in the Greek Orthodox Church, who will be revered by many.

Many of his followers may well hang on to his every word as being divine and Gospel. The followers' own beliefs and actions could then be weighed by this man's errant thinking.

PS: Wife and I also used to go to Speakers Corner on Sunday mornings for a cheap day out while we were saving up to get married :D
HIC, The Orthodox Church's views on Homosexuality, ''Homosexuality is considered an abomination'' what did anyone expect him to say?, were they waiting for him to produce a rainbow flag out from under his cassock and wave it about... I think alot of the elderly people in the Church will hang on to his every word, alot of the younger ones will not... in my opinion more harm will be done by the pro gay lobby in Cyprus by taking on the Church, rather then let things evolve slowly as is happening now.
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

Post by Dominic »

He definitely shouldn't be silenced. If a debate needs to be had about what an organisation's viewpoint is, then it should be allowed to happen. If you brush something under the carpet, it festers. It doesn't go away.
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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Jimgym wrote: Wed Sep 04, 2019 7:28 pm The best reaction is to just laugh at him. His views are from the dark ages but he’s entitled to have them.
I reiterate what I said earlier. He is allowed his voice and I am allowed to disagree. I don’t want him silenced.
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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We are all aware of some strict rules in some countries that apply particularly to woman.Took me a bit longer to understand same sex marriage but I am getting over it
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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jagwheels wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 7:33 pm We are all aware of some strict rules in some countries that apply particularly to woman.Took me a bit longer to understand same sex marriage but I am getting over it
What was it that you didn't understand? I'm curious.
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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Jimgym wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 10:37 pm
jagwheels wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 7:33 pm We are all aware of some strict rules in some countries that apply particularly to woman.Took me a bit longer to understand same sex marriage but I am getting over it
What was it that you didn't understand? I'm curious.
I guess it was the way I was brought up!!
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

Post by josef k »

It is worth noting that, in the Cyprus orthodox church, the word of a bishop is the word of god.

Therefore god thinks gay men smell. He's right, many I know smell very nice indeed. Better then a number of straight men I know, and noticeably better than the orthodox priests I have occasioned to walk past. Perhaps their mothers...........no, I won't go there.
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Re: First public statement by Bishop of Morphou after his remarks on gays

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josef k wrote: Sat Nov 09, 2019 4:10 pm It is worth noting that, in the Cyprus orthodox church, the word of a bishop is the word of god.

Therefore god thinks gay men smell. He's right, many I know smell very nice indeed. Better then a number of straight men I know, and noticeably better than the orthodox priests I have occasioned to walk past. Perhaps their mothers...........no, I won't go there.
:lol: Brilliant!
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