Why I Was Vaccinated
By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou
I am one of the first in Greece to get the new vaccine and with this text I wanted to express some of my thoughts that led me to this.
1. The Pandemic as War
For about a year we have been suffering from the new coronavirus (sars-cov2) which causes covid-19 disease, and has created many problems in the Church, society and the family. The economic, psychological and, above all, the social consequences are great and no one can number and surpass them.
During the first period of the pandemic, when I was a representative of the Church, I was given the opportunity to see all the issues related to the new virus, and the effects it has on people, society and the Church.
Various scientists are already researching what will happen when this threat passes. People will acquire different habits. The Professor of Yale, Dr. Nicholas Christakis, who is a "special social epidemiologist", observes that what happens in any such pandemics will happen in this case too. That is, people during a pandemic are isolated to protect themselves, and when the pandemic threat passes, they seek freedom. Thus, when the pandemic is over, "an explosion of consumerism, sexual liberation, alienation from religion" are observed (iefimerida, 12/23/2020).
Every pandemic is a war, which is treated with drugs, vaccines, and medical monitoring. Everything must be put in the service of the protection of physical health, which is not an end in itself, but a means for the development of man, for the fulfillment of his purposes and especially his union with God.
In this war the vaccine is a weapon, as of course it is in other diseases. The vaccine strengthens the immune system of our body, in order to deal with any foreign body - antigen - that enters our body.
Nowadays there is a lot of talk about the new vaccine and there is preparation for the vaccination of people. Because we live in a peculiar invisible war, and in fact a world war, which takes place mainly in hospitals, but also in societies and homes, we must not remain apathetic in the stands as spectators, but participate in it.
In a recent interview, a journalist (Valia Nikolaou) asked me: "Your Eminence, I want to ask you directly. Would you take the coronavirus vaccine?" And I answered:
"I will answer you directly. All children up to the age of ten are required to be vaccinated for thirteen diseases and optionally for another three diseases, ie a total of 16 vaccinations are given, and many of them are repeated. Also, other vaccines are given at later ages and these are due to the increase in life expectancy.
Vaccines boost the body's immune system to fight off viruses.
I have also been vaccinated, because otherwise I probably would not be alive and every year I get the flu vaccine. However, I will also take the new vaccine after the approvals of the competent organizations and the decision of the Holy Synod and the suggestions of my treating doctors.
Of course, I do not give conspiracy and ideological interpretations to vaccines. I believe that in this way I can prolong my biological life, without this being my goal, but in order to help as much as I can those who need me and to prepare properly for my death and my encounter with Christ.
I am more interested in the spiritual vaccine which is prayer and divine Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ and I am saddened when it is denied to Christians" (Eleutheros Typos, 12/13/2020).
Shortly before Christmas, the Minister of Health, Mr. Vasilios Kikilias, called me and suggested that I be on behalf of the Church among the first to take part in the first vaccinations. I thanked him, but I immediately told him that this is a matter for His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Hieronymos, and of the Holy Synod. I always respect the institutions and I cannot run ahead of them. When the order for Nafpaktos comes up, I will do it here in Nafpaktos, together with the Mayor and the residents of Nafpaktos. He told me that he had set an appointment for a meeting with His Beatitude and that this issue would be discussed there as well.
I contacted the Archbishop and told him about the same, and he asked me to write him my views on the vaccine. After that I sent him the following letter.
2. My Letter to the Archbishop
Your Beatitude Father and Master,
I am thinking these days about the issue of the vaccine, which is studied from many angles. I would like to express some of my views to you.
1. From a young age we were vaccinated many times, and in this way, and above all with the help of God, we live until now, facing the great mortality that existed in our years in childhood. Hence, I consider the medical sciences beneficial as well in this area.
For example, the disease of leprosy (Hansen's disease), which existed from ancient times, even before Christ until recent years, has been treated by medical science with antibiotics and vaccines. Of course, Christ healed lepers, as the Saints did by the power of Christ's name, but this was done to some who had special faith, and despite the miracles, the disease of leprosy remained until the discovery of analogous medicines.
This means that there are very clear boundaries between Church and science. The Church is mainly interested in the healing of the powers of the soul, so that they function according to nature and above nature and contribute to the salvation of man, his deification, and this has effects on the body as well, while medical science is concerned with the health of the body. Of course, the Church and science work together to help man to the extent that there are interactions between soul and body.
Ultimately, the theologian does not enter the realm of science unless he is also a scientist at the same time, and the scientist does not enter the realm of theology unless he is also a theologian. And when I speak of a theologian, I mean the deified Saint. We live in an age in which we must preserve these boundaries, so as not to reach the Middle Ages when the then emerging sciences clashed with the scholastic theology of the Roman Catholics.
2. Nowadays we are vaccinated for many diseases, from the birth of a child to the age of ten years. I asked a doctor to inform me about how many vaccines are given in this decade (from one to ten years old), and he gave me the following answer.
Mandatory vaccination is given for thirteen diseases and optional for three diseases (hepatitis A, rotavirus, tuberculosis), that is, sixteen total vaccines.
Analytically, in the first year, from the end of the second month, six vaccines are given at once, the so-called hexavalent, that is for diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis, amphiphilus of influenza, hepatitis 2, and this is given in three doses, namely the second, fourth and sixth month. The seventh vaccine is given for pneumococcus; the eighth vaccine for meningococcus; the ninth vaccine for rotavirus; at the fifteenth month the tenth vaccine for measles is given. The eleventh vaccine for rubella. The twelfth vaccine for mumps. The thirteenth vaccine for chickenpox. At eighteen months, meningitis and hepatitis vaccines are given repeatedly. At the age of two, a recurrent pneumococcal vaccine is given.
Of course, to these must be added other vaccines, which are given at older ages, and in fact the flu vaccine, which is given at older ages, every year, to which various strains are added.
The new vaccine is being discussed because genetically modified information encoding the surface protein of the mRNA is inserted into the virus to achieve an immune response. However, the World Health Organization has decided on its safety, and in any case, despite its side effects, as with all drugs, the specter of death that reaps from man is being addressed. The side effects of the new vaccine will be less than the death caused by sars-cov2.
This means that the human body is affected by the pollutions that exist in nature. And the fact that the expected age limit of humanity has increased is due to the contribution of medical science. It helps us to prolong our biological life, so that we can help our fellow human beings as much as we can and prepare ourselves better through repentance and prayer, to face death and to meet Christ.
Of course, for the development of our spiritual life, we are helped by the spiritual vaccines, which are Baptism and Chrismation, and the Communion of the Body and the Blood of Christ, which is the "antidote to be immortal".
3. There is a debate as to whether the Church can recommend the vaccination of people for covid-19 disease.
There are some objections on the part of some physicians, and this discussion should be exhausted among physician scientists, for the good of medical science and people in general. After all, with scientific dialogue, medical science is ensured on the one hand, and on the other it thrives even more.
There are also others who claim that international and European organizations, which approved the new vaccine, have been pressured by various economic and political interests. However, if such pressures were really exerted, this is also the case for other cases of production of products that we use in our lives, such as technology, but also other medicines.
Various forms of biotechnology have been developed, namely "white biotechnology", as characterized by the applications of biotechnology in industry, "green biotechnology", as characterized by its applications in the agricultural sector, and "red biotechnology", as characterized by the applications of biotechnology in health and medicine, where an effort is made to fight and prevent diseases in humans. But we all need to some degree and in many ways the achievements of modern biotechnology and medicine.
There are, of course, some conspiracy theorists, who see various conspiracies in this matter as well. I think, however, that this subject is not strictly theological, it is purely a matter of the physical health of man, and the first word is given to science and the healing doctor of every individual, who knows about their medical history. If one wants to find conspiracies in all matters, then one must lock oneself in a "protective bowl", not use modern technology at all, or leave for the desert and not use the achievements of modern science in modern life in all aspects of our life.
4. The question that arises is, what should the Church do in this matter.
In my opinion, first of all, the recommendations of the Synodal Bioethics Committee should be heard.
Then, it is an issue of the freedom of man, who has communication with his healing doctor. As in all other vaccines and medical treatments the Holy Synod does not decide, so it cannot decide on this issue.
Moreover, on the personal level of the Shepherds, it should be clarified that we are in a great global pandemic, in which people die every day. It is a world war. And just as war is an adventure for people, so it is in this world war. The Shepherds cannot remain apathetic in the face of the daily victims of covid-19, which are expressed either as "cases" or as "deaths" or as an economic crisis or as a psychological crisis due to the confinement and fear of death.
The Church, although it is against war, which threatens the life of people, nevertheless participates in various ways in the confrontation of this threat for the preservation of "altars and hearths". The same must happen in the present situation. We must help, respecting the freedom of every human being, to create "immunity" in the population, that is, to create a defense and "fortress" in people and society, which means to strengthen the immune system of the body and society, to protect "human lives", since human life is a blessing of God and is given to glorify God, to serve fellow human beings and to save himself forever.
And if there are some side effects, as in all medicines, they will be less than everyday cases and deaths, and will help to dispel the fear of death and restore normalcy to our society and the whole State, as well as the Church to perform the Mysteries and the services freely.
I put this forward for your consideration with the deepest respect for your person,
+ Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou
3. The Reply Letter of the Archbishop
After the discussion between the Archbishop and the Minister of Health, the Archbishop referred "to the need for cooperation with the State for vaccination and underlined that although he would like to be the first to be vaccinated, his healing doctors will not allow it at this time due to issues with his health. He pointed out, however, that symbolically one of the Hierarchs will be there from the first day to be vaccinated. 'This move expresses our support for this effort that is being made not only in our country, but in the whole world,' said the Archbishop, and wished us good results, so that in time we can celebrate differently these great days" (Ecclesia.gr, report for the Radio Station of the Church: Makis Adamopoulos, 12/22/2020).
Also, the Archbishop sent me the following letter in response to my letter:
Your Eminence Brother in Christ Holy Man of Nafpaktos Mr. Hierotheos,
I received your letter from December 21, 2020 and once again I breathed fresh air.
It is natural for the wealth of your knowledge - beyond Theology - and in fact at the peak of medical science, to help you comfortably to keep the boundaries of the Church and Science. Thus you become a minister of the cooperation of the Church and Science for the help of mankind to the extent that there are interactions between soul and body.
I was impressed by your last paragraph:
"Moreover, on the personal level of the Shepherds, it should be clarified that we are in a great global pandemic, in which people die every day. It is a world war. And just as war is an adventure for people, so it is in this world war. The Shepherds cannot remain apathetic in the face of the daily victims of covid-19, which are expressed either as 'cases' or as 'deaths' or as an economic crisis or as a psychological crisis due to the confinement and fear of death.
The Church, although it is against war, which threatens the life of people, nevertheless participates in various ways in the confrontation of this threat for the preservation of 'altars and hearths'. The same must happen in the present situation. We must help, respecting the freedom of every human being, to create 'immunity' in the population, that is, to create a defense and 'fortress' in people and society, which means to strengthen the immune system of the body and society, to protect 'human lives', since human life is a blessing of God and is given to glorify God, to serve fellow human beings and to save himself forever."
My health issues do not allow me to be vaccinated at the moment, otherwise I would have come with the first ones.
Knowing your character, reading your relevant text, I urge you to take my place in the first group of those who will come for vaccination.
With love in the Lord,
+ Hieronymos of Athens
After this, according to the program, which was prepared by the Ministry of Health, I was vaccinated at Evangelismos Hospital on Sunday, December 27, at 5:00 p.m.
In the Orthodox Church the body of man is not evil, as Platonism and Manichaeism taught, nor do we deify it. The body, which is united with the soul in one unity, is sanctified by the Grace of God.
Therefore, we take care of the health of the body not as an end in itself, but to contribute to our health, both physical and, above all, mental and spiritual, as defined by our Church.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.