April 20, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

Famous Athonites, critics of vaccination

It is no secret that many Athos elders, abbots and monks oppose vaccination against coronavirus. The Greek media presented some of them.

According to ekklisiaonline.gr, out of the 1600 inhabitants of Mount Athos, the majority have not yet been vaccinated against covid, despite the admonitions of the elders, monks and administration. More than half of the monasteries and sketes are part of the anti-vaccination movement, among the anti-vaccinationists there are at least 5 known Athonites, the newspaper writes. At the same time, their position resonates far beyond Athos.

The monasteries of Grigoriat, Caracal and Philotheus, which have influence, actively oppose vaccination. The monasteries of Xiropotamus and Dionisiates oppose vaccination more gently, but nevertheless implacably. The monks in the monastery of St. Paul, the sketes of St. Anna, small cells near St. Anna and the monastery of St. Andrew do not openly support them.

The greatest influence on anti-vaxxers is exerted by the 50-year-old monk Euthymius from the “Cell of the Resurrection” in Kapsala, who is called the successor of Elder Paisios. He lives, along with five other monks, in a small cell. Dozens of pilgrims from all over Greece and from abroad come to see him every day. Father Efimy says:

“Under the pretext of health, they cancel our freedom. After the fear of the virus came terrorism due to compulsory vaccination.”

Elder Parfeniy, abbot of the monastery of St. Paul, is no less tough and implacable opponent of vaccination, saying: “The vaccine is a hoax.” He emphasizes that he will not give anyone “blessings to go and get vaccinated.”

Another active anti-vaxxer, Hieromonk Ephraim, a resident of St. Andrew’s Skete in Karyes, says that vaccination is “very important for the plans of the new world order”, with the help of which they want to “reduce the population of the Earth.”

Elder Gabriel, who lives in a cell in Karyes, on the way to the former place of residence of the Monk Paisius of Athos, tirelessly repeats in his sermons, the newspaper writes life expectancy: “No to the vaccine” and “No to the ID of the number of the beast.”

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