The decision to put twelve priests of the archbishopric district on a three-month holiday from next Tuesday, as they did not respond to the call of the Archbishop to be vaccinated for the coronavirus, commented at Mesimeri and Kati the theologian, Theodoros Kyriakou.
He initially wondered why these priests were the only group of workers who had to be vaccinated and explained that the Ministry of Labor in Cyprus could not protect them, so they were expected to go abroad, with the theologian giving no details. "Here the church is a great power, which no one touches," he said characteristically.
He added that "the Archbishop is coming today, who knows that there are unvaccinated people in the Holy Synod, he does not deal with the Metropolitans and the Bishops and he deals with the 12 priests he has under his jurisdiction and he feels that he has absolute power over them".
Asked if he could "punish" the Metropolitans, he replied that "he can raise an issue at the Synod and demand that the Metropolitans and the Bishops comply with a decision of the Synod. The Synod itself urged the people to be vaccinated and how it is possible to urge the people and your members not to be vaccinated ".
He pointed out that "he can not dismiss them but he can impose a three-month leave and then six based on the episcopal court. What he says about dismissal are words of air because he needs a decision of the Synod and he will not find a majority there. "Those who will vote with him later will have a problem."
He also commented that "if the Archbishop has difficulty, he can resign."