The Holy Synod’s Encyclical on COVID-19 and its impact

By Ioannis Konidaris*

On Sunday, 25 July all Orthodox Churches around Greece were sent an Encyclical issued by the Holy Synod with the heading "To the People [Congregation]" with the purpose, according to the report of a creditable daily, "to mobilise priests and the people to be vaccinated".

The much-awaited Encyclical came straight on the heels of a meeting between Archbishop Ieronymos and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and another meeting between the Holy Synod, Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias, and the head of the National Committee on COVID-19, Professor of Epidemiology Sotiris Tsiodras.

Oddly enough, the Encyclical is entitled "Christians ask about the vaccine and our doctors answer" and it presents 12 questions and answers regarding all the queries the faithful may have. The experts answered in writing and these answers were included in the body of the Encyclical!

There are two concise paragraphs that might well have been the full text of the encyclical.

After underlining that vaccination is the paramount act of responsibility toward our fellow human beings and that the vaccine in no way contradicts Orthodox Christian teaching, the Encyclical concludes thusly:

"Consequently, members of the Church can freely, in accordance with their doctors' recommendation, choose to be vaccinated without any fear that the choice will have any repercussions on their relationship with God and the Church or on their very salvation."

I fear that this bland wording does not constitute a clear urging without reservations, without half-hearted rhetoric, or lessons in medicine - which are anyway difficult to stomach during the Divine Liturgy especially when they include scientific terms - that the faithful be...

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