The Holy Synod of the Church of True Orthodox Christians of Greece, under the presidency of His Beatitude Archbishop Kallinikos of Athens, during its deliberations on the 11/24 August 2021, considered the situation that has been created by the present epidemic, and expressed its complete opposition the the de facto imposition of vaccination by the government, especially as this is presented and supported by the greater part of the Greek mass media.
We insist on the right to information from every side, and on the right of every citizen to make his or her own decision on this matter. Neither obligation nor promises of rewards are correct ways to persuade the people.
We believe that vaccination should NOT be obligatory for any category of citizens, and we consider that any variety of discrimination against those vaccinated or those not vaccinated is unacceptable.
Our Synod observes with sadness the attempt to separate the people into vaccinated and unvaccinated, but also the denigration of the latter as showing an irresponsible and antisocial behaviour, and of the former as mindless slaves of the new world order. The enormous floods of information from both sides, especially on the internet, provide ample material for both points of view. Thus every person has the right to make his or her own decision, but does not have the right to denigrate those who form another opinion on the matter.
We declare that, as far as we are concerned, we do not permit any form of discrimination in the spiritual service to the faithful. Whether vaccinated or not, all our faithful are accepted in our churches and to the life-giving Mysteries of the Church. Therefore clergymen who impose discrimination amongst the faithful on the basis of whether they are vaccinated or not, will fall under ecclesiastical censure.
From the Secretariat of the Holy Synod, 11/24 August 2021
