Metropolitan of Morfou in Cyprus, Neofytos claimed homosexuals emit a distinct smell likening it to a stench, in a controversial statement he made during a speech.

In the same speech, the Orthodox high priest attributed young people’s homosexual tendencies to their mother sexual practices during the 9-month pregnancy, implying that anal sex by the pregnant mother resulted in higher possibilities of children acquiring unnatural sexual preferences.
Referring to the particular stench homosexuals gave off, the Archbishop narrated an example.

“A homosexual went to a Godly man and, as he passed by him, a very handsome man, the monk said to him: ‘Yyoung man, I need to tell you…Stop what you are doing…Sleeping around…you will catch something, a disease’ The young man asked him how he knew it. ‘As you passed, you stunk, a stench was present, you have a distinct smell and I know it’ the monk told him”.

The Metropolitan claimed the man was cured of his homosexuality after prayer.
“I am not joking. These are people living next door to you”.
The excerpts of his speech were made public on the Accept-LGBTI Cyprus Facebook, noting that the metropolitan’s words are clear hate speech, as it urged people to see gays as miasma, infected and dangerous to society.