The head of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus has warned that a dozen unvaccinated priests will be suspended from tomorrow if they fail to follow the church’s rules on Covid-19.
Archbishop Chrysostomos II told public radio CyBC on Sunday that he would send priests home if they still refused to be vaccinated and urged the faithful not to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
According to him, 27 of the 123 priests in his diocese have not been vaccinated, including 15 who are exempt for medical reasons.
An unprecedented disobedience
He deemed it “unprecedented” for priests and even theologians to disobey their chief bishop.
Chrysostomos II, who survived cancer, lamented that some priests opposed him because of his fragile health.
Indeed, priests and theologians refuse to be vaccinated, for “selfish reasons”, and influence the faithful, he accused.
Anti-covid vaccination is not compulsory in Cyprus but the Church has issued strict rules for priests and theologians, requiring them to be vaccinated.
The number of Covid-19 infections on the island has fallen in recent weeks, after hitting an all-time high of 5,457 cases on January 4.
January also saw a record number of deaths, the highest since the start of the pandemic. The Republic of Cyprus has officially recorded 253,350 cases including 731 deaths.