The head of the Cypriot Orthodox Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos, announced that he would insist on the exclusion from the synodal meetings of those hierarchs who were not vaccinated against the coronavirus, reports the publication Vima Orthodoxy.
In an interview with the state television channel, Archbishop Chrysostomos “once again called on the hierarchs to join the decisions of the synod on vaccination.”
The head of the Church of Cyprus said that “a pleasant and productive discussion took place with the members of the Holy Synod, subject to the decisions of the Synod” regarding vaccination.
As for those bishops who oppose vaccination, Archbishop Chrysostomus explained that “if there is disobedience of the hierarchs about the decision of the Holy Synod to vaccinate, he will insist on their exclusion from the meetings of the synod.”
When asked to comment on the “disobedience of a specific hierarch” (this is probably about Metropolitan Morphs Neophyte, who opposes vaccination against coronavirus) and the clergy, Archbishop Chrysostomus explained that the pandemic affected the operation of the hotel complexes of the Archdiocese, one of the main sources of funding for the clergy, which means “Who does not comply with the decisions of the synod – he will not receive a salary.”
At the same time, “vaccination is voluntary,” however, hierarchs and clergy who do not agree with the need to be vaccinated against coronavirus “should not influence parishioners so that they are not vaccinated.”