This was emphasized by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, at a meeting of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which took place on January 27, 2021 in Kyiv. The meeting outlined the position of the AUCCRO on the issue of vaccination against COVID-19 in Ukraine.
"The issue of vaccination is not a religious issue, but a medical one. Religious figures should not be promoters of this, as this is the responsibility of health professionals, who must fully inform citizens about the benefits and risks of vaccination. The main thing is that vaccination should be voluntary, effective, and affordable," said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
He stressed that the main thing is that the state provides citizens with a free choice: to be vaccinated or not, as well as with a choice of a vaccine. According to the Head of the UGCC, the choice of a vaccine is important not only in terms of its effectiveness and safety, but also because of the technology of its development, as some vaccines are made in a way that raises significant ethical issues.
In accordance with the Regulations on the AUCCRO, the chairmanship of the Council of Churches for the next six months passed to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.