[ALBSA-Info] Open-Minded Southern Neighbors

[Asti Pilika]

Greek Church Leader: Make More Love



By The Associated Press
ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- In an appeal to Greeks to have
more children, the outspoken leader of the country's
Orthodox Church said Sunday that married couples
should not feel guilty about having sex and may do so
without specific intent to conceive. 

During a sermon at an Athens church, Archbishop
Christodoulos described lovemaking as ``a blessed act
of marriage.'' 

``It is a gift God has given to man and it should not
be considered a sin,'' he said. 

The Church is actively involved in a campaign to
reverse Greece's declining birth rate. In recent
years, the trend has forced the closure of scores of
primary schools and prompted the government to
consider reorganizing pension schemes and compulsory
military service. 

Last week, Christodoulos said the Orthodox Church
might start summer camps for young married couples,
allowing them to deepen their relationship and avoid
eventually joining the growing number of divorced
Greeks. 

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