Church authorities in Greece slap religious ban on local politicians who backed same-sex marriage

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Backlash by the Orthodox Church of Greece against a landmark law allowing same-sex civil marriage in the country has intensified. A regional bishopric has imposed a religious ban on two local lawmakers who backed the reform, and urged them to repent. Church authorities on the northwestern island of Corfu accuse the two opposition lawmakers of committing “the deepest spiritual and moral error” in voting for the law, which was approved with cross-party support on Feb. 15. It said Tuesday that the two “cannot consider themselves active members of the Church.”