AUCCRO voices position on vaccination against coronavirus
Meeting of the AUCCRO on 27.01.21. Photo: news.church.ua
On January 27, 2021, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO) announced its position on vaccination against COVID-19 in Ukraine, reports vrciro.org.ua.
On behalf of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, with the blessing of the Primate of the UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Bishop Victor (Kotsaba) of Baryshevka, as well as an employee of the UOC Department for External Church Relations (DECR), Sergey Bortnik, took part in the meeting.
The meeting participants noted that the issue of vaccination is primarily a medical problem, and "religious leaders should not be promoters of this since this is the competence of physicians, who should comprehensively inform citizens about the benefits and risks of vaccination."
In addition, in their opinion, the state should provide citizens with a free choice: to be vaccinated or not, as well as with what kind of vaccine, since it is not only about its effectiveness and safety, but also about the production technology.
Earlier, Bishop Victor (Kotsaba) stressed that the Church does not oppose vaccination but the methods of its introduction are worrisome.
As reported, the head of the UGCC Sviatoslav Shevchuk became the new chairman of the AUCCRO for the next six months.
Read also
Orthodox Church in America raises $700,000 for Ukrainians in Poland
An OCA representative met with Metropolitan Sava and discussed humanitarian support for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
Hollywood Catholic actors remind of the spiritual meaning of Great Lent
Mark Wahlberg i Jonathan Roumie recorded a video message calling for prayer at the beginning of Great Lent.
MP Huz discusses seizure of UOC monastery in Myltsi with Volyn RMA head
Huz demanded that the authorities "resolve the situation" with the St. Nicholas Monastery of the Volodymyr-Volynsky Eparchy of the UOC.
Lviv authorities to allocate UAH 300,000 for UGCC church damaged by shelling
The Lviv City Council will finance the restoration of stained glass windows of the Uniate church after damage sustained as a result of a missile strike.
Yelets Icon of Mother of God venerated in ancient monastery of Chernihiv
Metropolitan Clement celebrated the Liturgy at the Yelets Monastery of Chernihiv on the day of veneration of the monastery's main shrine.
In Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi, OCU supporters convert seized church into warehouse
In the Cherkasy region, Dumenko's supporters set up a clothing warehouse in the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands, which previously belonged to the UOC.