Chapel on Greek island Rhodes bans foreign weddings - Lindos, Greece - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

"Rhodes' famous St Pauls Chapel has reportedly banned foreigners from getting married there, after a photo of a British couple simulating a sex act went viral.

Newlyweds Carly and Matthew Lunn stunted up the picture and posted it on Facebook, shortly after they were married.

But while their friends and family saw the funny side, after it was shared multiple times it came to the attention of the religious authorities responsible for the chapel who were said to be "outraged" by the image.

Bishop Kyrillos of Rhodes then took the decision to ban foreigners from getting married at the picturesque location, leaving the fate of thousands of couples hanging in the balance. A number have already cancelled to make alternative plans for their big day.

“We are Greek and we cherish our traditions and the sanctity of our religious sites,” community leader Giorgos Eleftheriou told The Times: “We cannot allow this disgusting behaviour to prevail.”

Mr Eleftheriou, who performed the couple’s ceremony, added: “Shame on those two for the damage they have done. Would they have done the same in their homeland; in front of a British chapel, a Jewish temple, a Muslim mosque?

“I have hundreds of soon-to-be brides from Britain and all over the world calling me today in tears because of this decision. It’s a huge damper on our society here. We are one of the most famous wedding destinations in the world and we are booked solid through to 2021.”

A local resident told the The Sun that after the story broke in British media, it was published by Greek TV and newspapers.

"Even though it was a simulated act they felt it defiled the church,” they said. “The situation was really that the local priest and church and the mayor had no choice but to say that there will be no further weddings - 99 per cent of the weddings are British.

“People are outraged and talking about suing the couple involved. They want the couple to publicly apologise to Rhodes and particularly the church."

The local mayor has not yet endorsed the decision but is expected to after the season is over, leaving the location of ceremonies booked years in advance in doubt.

The sudden loss of weddings could be a major blow to the local economy, which is highly dependent on tourism and hospitality. Greece is still recovering from a severe economic crisis.

Mr Eleftheriou said he was looking at relocating thousands of other scheduled weddings to other locations on Rhodes.

Speaking before the ban was invoked, Mrs Lunn said: “It was something we said we’d do for a joke. "We expected a lot of laughs and jokes from people, but didn’t expect it to be as popular as it was. People back in England were commenting on it, the whole thing went mad.""

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"To diásimo parekklísi tou Agíou Pávlou sti Ródo échei apagoréfsei stous allodapoús na pantreftoún ekeí, afoú mia fotografía enós vretanikoú zevgarioú pou prosomoiónei mia sexoualikí práxi píge ió.

Oi neónymfoi Carly kai Matthew Lunn anaisthitopoíisan tin eikóna kai to dimosíefsan sto Facebook lígo metá ti níki tous.

Allá enó oi fíloi kai i oikogéneiá tous eídan tin asteía plevrá, afoú moirástikan pollés forés, éftasan stin prosochí ton thriskeftikón archón pou ítan ypéfthynes gia to parekklísi, oi opoíoi légontan óti ítan «exorgisménoi» apó tin eikóna.

O epískopos Kýrillos tis Ródou élave tóte tin apófasi na apagoréfsei stous allodapoús na pantreftoún sti grafikí topothesía afínontas tin týchi chiliádon zevgarión pou krémontai stin isorropía. Énas arithmós échei ídi akyrotheí gia na kánei enallaktiká schédia gia ti megáli iméra tous.

«Eímaste Éllines kai agapáme tis paradóseis mas kai tin ierótita ton thriskeftikón mas chóron», dílose stous igétes tis koinótitas Giórgos Eleftheríou stin Times: «Den boroúme na epitrépsoume na epikratísei aftí i aidiastikí symperiforá».

O k. Eleftheríou, o opoíos pragmatopoíise tin teletí tou zevgarioú, prósthese: "Ntropí se aftá ta dýo gia ti zimiá pou échoun kánei. Tha eíchan kánei to ídio stin patrída tous? brostá apó éna vretanikó parekklísi, énan evraïkó naó, éna mousoulmanikó témenos?

"Écho ekatontádes vradiés apó ti Vretanía kai apó ólo ton kósmo pou me kaloún símera me dákrya lógo aftís tis apófasis. Eínai éna terástio klonismó stin koinonía mas edó. Eímaste énas apó tous pio diásimous gamílious proorismoús ston kósmo kai eímaste ftinoí méchri to 2021. "

Énas ntópios kátoikos eípe ston Ílio óti metá apó tin istoría pou éspase sta vretaniká mésa enimérosis, dimosiéfthike apó tin ellinikí tileórasi kai efimerídes.

"Parólo pou ítan mia prosomoioméni práxi, aisthánthikan óti évlapsan tin ekklisía", dílosan. "I katástasi ítan óti o topikós ieréas kai i ekklisía kai o dímarchos den eíchan álli epilogí apó to na léne óti den tha ypárchoun néoi gámoi - to 99% apó tous gámous eínai Vretanoí.

"Oi ánthropoi eínai exorgisménoi kai miláne gia na minýsoun to emplekómeno zevgári. Théloun to zevgári na zitísei syngnómi apó ti Ródo kai idiaítera apó tin ekklisía. "

O topikós dímarchos den échei akómi enkrínei tin apófasi, allá anaménetai metá ti líxi tis sezón, afínontas amfivolía ti thési ton teletón pou échoun kleísei chrónia prin.

I xafnikí apóleia gámon boreí na apotelései simantikó plígma gia tin topikí oikonomía, i opoía exartátai se megálo vathmó apó ton tourismó kai ti filoxenía. I Elláda exakoloutheí na anakámptei apó mia sovarí oikonomikí krísi.

O k. Eleftheríou eípe óti exetázei ti metenkatástasi chiliádon állon programmatisménon gámon se álles periochés tis Ródou.

Milóntas prin tin epíklisi tis apagórefsis, i k. Lunn eípe: «Ítan káti pou eípame óti tha kánoume gia éna asteío. "Anaméname pollá gélia kai asteía apó tous anthrópous, allá den perímenan na eínai tóso dimofilís óso ítan." Oi ánthropoi píso stin Anglía scholíazan to théma, to ólo théma trelóthike.

PIGI - (sýndesmos epískepsis)