As part of the awareness-raising campaign on the vaccination against the coronavirus, Greek Minister of Health Vassilis Kikilias met with Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and all of Greece on Tuesday.
The minister thanked the Archbishop for meeting him and wished him all the best.He also asked the Church to be helpful in the effort made by the Greek State “so that we can vaccinate our fellow citizens and to take care of them.”
On his part, the Archbishop congratulated all the brave men and women — doctors, nurses and support staff — that selflessly and passionately work to save lives and relieve suffering.
He also said that the vaccination campaign is crucial in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, adding the Church will be on the front lines when the national inoculation offensive begins on Sunday.
Archbishop Ieronymos also stated that he would have been among the first to get vaccinated, but his treating doctors did not allow it due to his recent health problems.
“This decisive step shows the support for the effort that is being made not only in our country but in the whole world,” the Archbishop said.
Ieronymos II (Greek: Ιερώνυμος B’; born 10 March 1938) is the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece and as such the primate of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece. He was elected on 7 February 2008.
The first batch of COVID-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in Greece on December 27 and be put into use at the end of this year.