Greek court exonerates Orthodox metropolitan of hate speech charges

A Greek Metropolitan has been acquitted of inciting the population to hatred and violence. The charge was sought based on a blog post that he had made some three years ago critical of same-sex cohabitation and the legislation that was being passed to support it.
In the wake of the Greek Parliament’s vote to pass legislation in favor of homosexual  unions, Metropolitan Ambrose of Kalavryta made a blog post critical of such relationships as a deviation from natural law in which he called upon the faithful to stand in opposition against such abominations.
Based on this writing, the Metropolitan was accused of hate speech and of breaking twelve different laws, including inciting the population to anger against the State or its citizenry, which is punishable by up to three years in prison.
RIA Novosti reports:

ATHENS, March 16 – RIA Novosti. The court in Greece did not find in the statements of Metropolitan Ambrose of Kalavryts about the homosexuals of calls for violence and acquitted him, Star television reported.
The court session ended on Thursday late in the evening. The trial was protracted and took place under heightened security measures, because before the meeting an anarchist group organized a rally near the court in support of LGBT people, hung a panel and stoned glass in the windows.
In the dock, the Metropolitan appeared after the court received a complaint about his article on homosexuals, where he condemned same-sex relationships and called for confronting them. In his blog, Ambrose, commenting on the adopted law on the co-existence of homosexuals, among other things, wrote: “where you see them, spit in them,” “do not worry about them,” and used many epithets, calling homosexuality a sin and a deviation from the laws of nature.
The Metropolitan was accused of violating 12 articles of the law, namely “public incitement to violence or hatred and abuse of church values.”
In his speech, the prosecutor stated that Ambrose must be acquitted and found not guilty, since the text did not cause danger and did not violate the laws.
Metropolitan of Kalavry said that he fights against those who are against God. “God created man and woman, not anomaly, I fight with those who are against God.” Homosexuals are our brothers and sisters, but not God’s children. “They are not the creations of the Lord, God is turning away from them all,” said the Metropolitan.
According to him, the law on cohabitation of homosexuals, adopted by the state, violates the law of God. The priest called the behavior of homosexuals provocative and showed the judge pictures of naked kissing men.
“When I say” spit on them, “I mean” ignore them. “The least I wrote about them is to spit on them, if I had a weapon, I would go and finish the job … if the law allowed me, there is no crime, therefore I can not be tried, “said the Metropolitan.
Out of the courtroom of Ambrose, those present, among whom there were many priests, were greeted with applause.

The Apostle Paul, in Romans Chapter 1, describes the effect of this sin on mind of the sinner:

Thus there is no excuse for them; although they had the knowledge of God, they did not honour him or give thanks to him as God; they became fantastic in their notions, and their senseless hearts grew benighted; they, who claimed to be so wise, turned fools, and exchanged the glory of the imperishable God for representations of perishable man, of bird and beast and reptile. That is why God abandoned their lustful hearts to filthy practices of dishonouring their own bodies among themselves. They had exchanged God’s truth for a lie, reverencing and worshipping the creature in preference to the Creator (blessed is he for ever, Amen); and, in return, God abandoned them to passions which brought dishonour to themselves. Their women exchanged natural for unnatural intercourse; and the men, on their side, giving up natural intercourse with women, were burnt up with desire for each other; men practising vileness with their fellow men. Thus they have received a fitting retribution for their false belief. And as they scorned to keep God in their view, so God has abandoned them to a frame of mind worthy of all scorn, that prompts them to disgraceful acts.

This acquittal is a major victory for Orthodox faith over Western immorality that is like a plague which seeks to infect itself upon the East. We stand in solidarity with His Eminence in his stand for Christian morality. May this be an encouragement to other Christian leaders to not be afraid to stand up for Christ’s gospel.
Opinions expressed are those of the author alone and may not reflect the opinions and viewpoints of Hellenic Insider, its publisher, its editors, or its staff, writers, and contributors.