A Greek Orthodox bishop has urged churchgoers to not take the COVID-19 vaccine because, citing sources from Italy, it is "made from aborted fetuses."
On Sunday, December 27, after the vespers, the Metropolitan of Kythera said he was informed by Orthodox Christians in Italy that the vaccines were made with cells from aborted fetuses, Proto Thema English reported.
“This is very terrible, my brothers, and the Christians of the West, the Papists, have been concerned and have addressed their leader, the Pope," the bishop said.
"Of course he has reassured them and told them: ‘It is so, but we will accept it for the health of the people'," he continued.
"But this is a big mistake and of course, he is outside a holy catholic and apostolic church and we cannot count his opinion, but we Orthodox cannot accept such a thing," the bishop emphasised.
Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA technology, thus creating a synthetic vaccine that does not contain human cell lines.
The claim that COVID-19 vaccines are using human fetuses first emerged on social media in November.
This claim was fact-checked by Associated Press, Full Fact, Politifact, Reuters, and Snopes and found to be false.