On the evening of the first Sunday of August, Pantanassa Monastery together with the Parish of St Catherine’s Mascot, presented an information evening to inform the faithful on the wider implications of the proposed amendment to the definition of ‘marriage’ in the Marriage Act (1961). It specifically addressed religious, social, legal and educational consequences that such legislation would have if approved. You can now watch a video of all four presentations below or download the audio.
The key note speaker was the Very Reverent Elder Eusebios, Abbot of Pantanassa Monastery, who gives an overview on the Orthodox Church’s teachings on marriage and same sex ‘marriage’ and the need for the Church to participate in the national discussion.
Dr Anna Dimitriou, an independent researcher in the area of post war migrant oral history and the effects of PTSD on subsequent generations, discusses her findings from current research of both sides of the debate on same sex ‘marriage’.
Mr Nicholas Augustinos, a Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law at the University of Notre Dame Australia raised some important legal concerns. He argues that this amendment would affect all Orthodox Christians, because it will impact on the freedom of expression of our faith and our religious belief on what marriage truly is.
Mrs Helen Magdas, an educator with over ten years of teaching experience in the public school sector and a religious educator of Greek Orthodox youth for over thirty years, discusses the impact on education and children
