by Jennifer Davis –
As she has done in previous years, Presbytera Mari Iakovou Mars is enthusiastically, proudly and publicly celebrating and promoting homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer pride for LGBTQ Pride Month this year also.
On her Facebook page, on June 2, 2021 Mars wrote:
“Happy pride, y’all!!! To all my LGBTQ+ family, friends, and clients: I see you, I love you, and I will never stop fighting for you.”
Mars is the wife of an active Orthodox priest in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOAA).
Mars, Presbytera Mari Marilisse, is married to Fr. Christos P. Mars who currently serves at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Atlanta, Georgia. Fr. Mars is a prominent Presbyter of the GOAA: he’s Vice-President of the Metropolis of Atlanta Clergy Syndesmos and President of the Atlanta Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood.
On June 3, 2021, Presbytera Mars followed up her Happy Pride message, with another Facebook post celebrating Pride Month. The rainbow graphic she shared publicly contained this message:
“with june being pride month, i wanted to take the occasion to clearly say this:
i unhesitatingly & wholeheartedly support my lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer friends, their rights, their marriages, their pursuit of happiness and their breath.
this is also true july thru may.”
In 2020, Presbytera Mars similarly promoted and honored LGBTQ Pride Month with this “Happy Pride to everyone” post:
In 2019, Presbytera Mars also celebrated and paid tribute to LGBT Pride Month:
“Breaking my hiatus just long enough to say HAPPY PRIDE!!!!!!!!
To my LGBT+ friends, it takes a remarkable amount of courage and strength to move through the world every day saddled with the struggle you endure – the fight for your rights, the objectifying “discourse” (especially in religious circles), the threats of physical violence, the shaming, the isolation, the shunning, the hiding, the forced silence, the forced celibacy, the lack of control over your bodies and your lives, the lack of choices…
I admire you. Deeply. I honor your courage and strength. I respect your autonomy. I hope with you. I fight with you. I listen with no judgment. And I love you – with no conditions or expectations, no gate-keeping, no requirements to pass. Just love.
I wish you a Happy Pride filled with peace, tranquility, joy, and love.”
Coming from the wife of an Orthodox priest these posts are extremely inappropriate. They scandalize the Orthodox Church.
Mars is free to express herself in any manner she likes. But, she is also a Presbytera and holds a visible, privileged and influential leadership position within the Greek Orthodox church. When she repeatedly contradicts the Orthodox Church teachings and theology on human nature and biology, sexuality, sin, marriage and family, Mars makes a mockery of the Orthodox Church and the GOAA hierarchy.
Gail Sheppard, a frequent contributor to the Monomakhos blog, summarized the scandalous situation Presbytera Marilisse (Mari Iakovou Mars) has caused with her zealous support of LGBTQ ideas that defy the unchanging teaching of the Orthodox Church (see Comments area):
It was scandalous because a woman, married to a priest in our Church, either knows next to nothing about the Orthodox Faith or has chosen to speak against it. That she is “nice” is immaterial. A lot of people are “nice.” But a Presbytera, at the very minimum, should be able and willing to support the Church.
It is NOT Church teaching:
(1) To define people by their struggle. One person’s struggle does not take more or less courage and strength than another’s.
(2) To be concerned with a person’s rights. We are taught to respect our civil authorities in all things, regardless of whether or not our “rights” are impinged upon.
(3) To be concerned with objectifying “discourse.” We are taught that like Christ, we will be humiliated, spit upon and called all manner of things. There are people in other parts of the world who are dying for the Faith. The words of this matushka should be reserved for them. Not people who choose to live a non-Christian lifestyle and flaunt it in a parade.
(4) To argue against celibacy when it concerns sex outside of marriage.
(5) To say that people should have complete control of their bodies. The Church teaches us that God created us man and woman and we are to honor that.
(6) To indicate we should have choices over the way we live. To be a Christian, there is but one choice: to accept and struggle toward leading a Christian lifestyle.
(7) To suggest one should have autonomy. We are taught when we enter the Church, we lose our autonomy to become part of the Body of Christ. Because our sin negatively impacts our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are expected to live our lives in a way that honors and serves others, not ourselves.
(8) To say there are no conditions, expectations or requirements. To live a sacramental life in the Church, there are many of both.
While her husband serves at the altar and she benefits from the honor, authority and influence that her status as Presbytera conveys, Mars willingly propagandizes the LGBTQ agenda and fuels outright rebellion inside the Orthodox Church. Her words and actions can sway many innocent and confused souls, particularly impressionable children, teenagers and young adults who trust and can be easily manipulated by those in positions of authority, especially the wife of an Orthodox priest.
Shamefully, all the GOAA bishops and metropolitans have ignored Presbytera Mars’ many scandalous comments and have never challenged or denounced her outrageous public posts. The entire hierarchy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America remains silent and complicit in this travesty, for the third year in a row.
The other Orthodox bishops (OCA, ROCOR, Antiochian) should anathematize these people, even if the Corinthians won’t do that themselves. Didn’t I read something about quenching the ragings of the heathen, and speedily undoing and rooting out the growths of heresies? Not to mention enduring suffering and even martyrdom for the faith. If our bishops and priests cannot even do this….
Also: Pride is a sin, what the pseudo-presbytera espouses is a sin. 1+1=3 strikes you’re out.
“For this reason, those who publicly affirm and promote homosexual behavior (like those who publicly advocate abortion) cannot be sacramental communicants in the Orthodox Church.” – Fr. Thomas Hopko
https://www.orthodoxytoday.org/blog/2017/08/fr-thomas-hopko-homosexual-advocates-should-be-denied-communion-in-the-orthodox-church/
Agreed!
-Fr. Porphyrios
Please correct me if I am mistaken but it just seems to me that the only hierarchs speaking out against this onslaught of heresy and decadence are coming from the Moscow Patriarchate.
Hi Dave, agreed, the Moscow patriarchate stands firm. I think it was Hermann Melville who wrote that only Rome will stand-,but methinks he had the right idea, wrong Rome. XB, bill
There are others, hierarchs, priests and monks, mostly in eastern Europe. Of note is Father Peter Heers (an American living and serving in Thessaloniki, Greece.) His reputation has been frequently and unfairly assaulted due to his strong and uncompromising stands on this and other matters threatening our Church in this age.
SEE: https://orthodoxyindialogue.com/2020/06/09/archbishop-alexander-golitzin-issues-warning-against-father-peter-heers-orthodox-ethos-website/
The enemies of Christ are equally uncompromising.
“Don’t dialogue with sin. Don’t engage sin. Don’t self-identify with sin. Don’t take pride in sin. Don’t define sin as essential to human identity. Don’t celebrate sin. Turn away from sin. Flee from sin. Repent of sin. Struggle and fight against sin. Help others turn away from sin. Help them to fight against sin. Teach others to avoid sin and reject sin.
…
If you are an Orthodox Christian you cannot celebrate “Gay Pride” or support “LGBT Pride” or cheer “Happy Pride.” If you are an Orthodox Christian you cannot be a “trans advocate” or “trans ally” or “LGBT advocate.”
Such acknowledgements are blasphemous. This is from the devil. This makes a mockery of the Orthodox Christian teaching on sin and holiness as it relates to human nature and God’s relationship with man. It advertises a worldly, corrupt, and false perception of the human condition.
Such proclamations present sin and the passions as essential to human existence. They permanently unite sin to human nature. They define humanity by sin, in direct contradiction to the Scriptures, God’s commandments, the teaching of Christ and the Holy Fathers, and the theology and dogmas of the Holy Orthodox Church, all of which testify that sin entered creation due to man’s disobedience and rebellion against God. The Lord has said that sin is alien to human existence, a deadly threat that separates man from God. If anyone teaches differently, they are worshiping an idol and not the real God.
Sin is nothing to be proud about, self-identify with, and dialogue with!” – Fr. Ioannes Apiarius
https://www.orthodoxytoday.org/blog/2019/10/dont-dialogue-with-sin/
Precisely! Very well said. Thank you.
“Sin is nothing to be proud about, self-identify with, and dialogue with!” – Fr. Ioannes Apiarius” Amen
Sadly, IMHO I believe that this push began during the Social Revolution of the late 1960’s. Sexual intercourse was equated with love. From that point on anything involving sexual acts equaled love. Now look where we are. What were once deviant sexual acts are now “expressions of ‘love’.” Mark my words the acceptance of pedophilia is on the horizon. Lord have mercy! Will the “loving” presvytera Mari support that too?
How nice to know there are two parishes in Atlanta. This place can be avoided. Maybe someday there will be three Orthodox parishes. The building is there, the contents need cleansing.
As convert to Eastern Orthodoxy, from Anglican Church, I vomit reading this simpleton woman who makes mockery of the Faith.
Fr Christos Mars should be defrocked ASAP & join Episcopalian loony left.
You have a legitimate point.
Exactly
As a late in life convert to Eastern Orthodoxy from the going off the rails Southern Baptist denomination, I think these words expressed on FB would be warmly welcomed at an inclusive United Church of Christ, or some other progressive Protestant group.
St Paul spoke to Timothy about the qualifications of a bishop, one being that he’s in control of his family and his house is in order.
They are clearly demonic; that is why they will stay connected to the OC; their work is to destroy it. More importantly, and more dangerous than these two pseudo christians are their hierarchical allies. Millstones anyone?
There is a very subtle smirk in Mrs. Mars’ face – lips and eyes – which most anyone who is not “face-blind” can discern. It’s the same self-satisfied smirk Kamila Harris had on her face when debating Mike Pence.
To me, it’s an expression revealing an inner attitude which says, “I dare you to disagree with me.” Or one which enjoys being the author of discord, “stirring the pot” for stirring’s sake. It’s the expression of someone who obtains self-congratulation by being so much “better and more enlightened” than everyone else, and perhaps “more daring!”
And no doubt those who write like her fancy themselves as protectors and saviors of those they envision as oppressed. Some may think themselves as risk-takers. But in today’s plurality of opinions, there really is no risk whatsoever in their “stances”. There is great self-delusion in people like this. The defense of “Pride” is no coincidence.
Her husband must be more scared of her than his superiors. IMO, his superiors need to correct this error of judgment. And his other one of leadership.
You are spot on. I observed same. May the Lord show her the error of her ways, and lead her and others like her to repentance.
Sadly, many of the hierarchs of GOARCH are not only Freemasons; but also secret/closet PRACTICING homosexuals. So they’re hardly going to silence Presby Mari.
First: Can I understand the reason she is called Presbytra and her husband father? They are not intitled to these titles any more.
Second: Any one heard of the great acts of their New Boss the so called Archbishop!? 2 Greek priests wrote criticizing his actions on the progressive website called Orthodox Laity in the same issue! This is how bad things are. He went on St. Bartholomew day and celebrated it not in his church but in an Episcopalian one with the Rainbow flag above him!
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