Greek Parliament is poised to approve same-sex civil partnership on Tuesday following a plenary discussion kicking off at 12.30 p.m. in Greek Parliament. The bill has prompted debate and reaction in the Greek Orthodox church with a number of religious leaders taking a stand against the bill that improves gay rights. The Church has not been the only one to criticize the agreement, as the bill has caused a rift in the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) partnership with its junior coalition member right-wing Independent Greeks (ANEL).

Gay rights activists see the civil partnership bill as crucial to the rights of the gay community. “We’re starting to turn a page. What the LGBT community has to do now is keep fighting for full equality,” said Nancy Papathanasiou of the Athens-based lesbain and gay organization. Let’s not forget that Greece is among just a handful of EU nations that do not recognize civil unions between gay couples. The discriminatory exclusion of gay couples from legislation granting tax, pension and inheritance rights to unmarried heterosexuals drew a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in 2013 as it called on Greece to align its laws with those of the rest of Europe.

On the other hand, church officials like leading Bishop Seraphim of Piraeus said the cohabitation bill is a result of the “constant war against the true faith being waged by the international Zionist monster” that has control of the Greek government, while Greek Orthodox Bishop Ambrosios of Kalabryta and Aigaleia decided to have the church bells toll in mourning from noon to 12.30 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday as a sign of the times following the tabling of the bill and its submission to Greek Parliament.

The homosexual community however is chuffed and will respond to criticism in the best way they know how, with a kissing protest outside the Athens cathedral on Tuesday.