Church of Cyprus speaks out against sex education course

On 3 September 2023, the Paphos Metropolis of the Cypriot Orthodox Church opposed the introduction of "sex education" lessons in the Cyprus school curriculum, reports orthodoxianewsagency.gr.

A circular was read out in all churches of the Paphos Metropolis against the inclusion of lessons on " holistic sexual education as a compulsory subject at all levels of education in the Republic of Cyprus".

Earlier, the Cypriot Education Ministry said it was starting seminars for teachers who would teach the course, which officials said aimed to "empower children so that they can protect themselves".

The Diocese of Paphos said that "unfortunately, the Parliament of the Republic passed by majority vote Law N205(1) 2022, which makes the so-called “sexual education” a compulsory subject in all levels of schools on our island.

The circular said that according to testimonies from parents whose children participated in last year's sex education course, "what was said by the teachers is unheard of, shameful, they put their children in a very difficult position and discomfort, but and the parents understood what this kind of education ultimately aims at".

The Metropolitan added that "the farthest consequence of this westernized and externally imposed "education" will be that the coming generations will lose the most precious thing that our ancient and precious Greek Orthodox tradition bequeathed to us and that our ancestors preserved with countless bloody sacrifices, namely the Roman our consciousness". And this, he continues, "so that we become vulnerable and manipulated by the new order of things, which above all plots and envies the Orthodox Christian peoples".

As earlier reported, the hierarch of the Cypriot Church refused to concelebrate with the Primate because of Dumenko.