* Although the article
concerns the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, the following applies to all vaccines
containing human embryonic cell lines HEK293, PER.C6, MRC-5, WI-38, WALWAX-2,
etc.
Introduction
Prove all things; hold
fast that which is good.
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
(1 Thess. 5: 21-22)
If you have pity for
others, you will not condemn anyone.
(St. Anatoly of Optina)
In January 2021, the
President of Russia announced launching the population mass vaccination with
the Sputnik V vaccine aimed at fighting the COVID-19 coronavirus infection [1].
The vaccination began
with the vaccine “which had been
produced with the use of technologies that puts us in front of dire moral
problems” [1.1].
This article will attempt
to analyze how the representatives of the episcopate and priesthood of the
Russian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (ROC MP), reacted to the above
decision of the state authorities on mass vaccination, fulfilling their
pastoral duty to Christ, the Head of the Church, and whether the position they
voiced corresponds to the Orthodox Church doctrine.
At the beginning of the
article it will be reasonable to recall the commandment of Christ given by Him
through the holy Apostle Paul: "But why dost thou judge thy brother?
or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the
judgment seat of Christ" (Rom. 14:10).
So, let us consider the
main ideas voiced publicly by the episcopate, famous priests, and laity in
connection with the use of the Sputnik V vaccine.
Thesis One.
“There are no spiritual problems, you can and should be vaccinated”.
Metropolitans Hilarion
(Alfeyev) and Tikhon (Shevkunov) are perhaps our most famous bishops, whose
names are familiar to any Russian Orthodox person. For many years Metropolitan
Hilarion has been heading the Department for External Church Relations of the
Russian Orthodox Church, in fact performing the functions of the Minister of
Foreign Affairs in the ROC MP.
Metropolitan Tikhon is the
creator of the Pravoslavie.ru website, the author of many books and films, for
many years the rector of the Sretensky Theological Seminary, and a member of
the commissions of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church.
However, the statements
of these prominent metropolitans on the issue of vaccination, and specifically
vaccination with the Sputnik V vaccine, unfortunately, do not at all stand up
to criticism since they do not contain complete and reliable information that
Orthodox Christians have the right to rely on.
As an example, here is what was published in January 2021 about Metropolitan Hilarion’s attitude to vaccination:
