Greek hierarch to his clerics: You have a week to get vaccinated

Metropolitan Chrysostomos (centre) with clerics. Photo: poimin.gr

On November 9, 2021, Metropolitan Chrysostomos (Greek Ιωάννης Αβαγιανός) of Eleftheroupoli of the Greek Orthodox Church sent out a circular to the priests of his diocese, in which he ordered each cleric to be vaccinated from covid within one week, reports the Greek resource Vima Orthodoxias.

Metropolitan Chrysostomos promised to punish the priests who did not fulfil the decree by removing them from church posts. 

At the same time, Metropolitan Chrysostomos warns that he will severely punish any clergyman who in any way prevents his parishioners from being vaccinated. "We already consider him," he emphasizes, "unworthy of his sacred mission and at the same time an anti-social and inhuman element."

The hierarch calls on those clergymen who have not yet been vaccinated "to immediately rush to the vaccination centres and do it" within the next week. Otherwise, in addition to a reprimand, he will proceed with the removal of the ecclesiastical insignia (treasurer, first elder, archimandrite, while they will be deprived of the right to confess to those who have been granted them).

As reported earlier, the Synod of the GOC called for people to come to churches either with vaccination or with a test.

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