Russian Orthodox Church Opposes COVID Passports, Warns It Would Restrict People's Freedoms

Metropolitan Hilarion (Alpheyev) commented on the European Commission's announcement of the imminent introduction of the first coronavirus vaccination passport project.

The introduction of COVID passports may restrict people's rights and freedoms. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk (Alfeyev), head of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations (DECR), said this on March 13, 2021, during a program called Church and World.

Commenting on a recent statement by the European Commission (EC) that a bill on the introduction of so-called "Green Digital Passports" will be presented as early as March, Metropolitan Hilarion noted that the initiative "still causes much more concern than enthusiasm.

First of all, this violates the principle of voluntariness of vaccination, which, so far, is declared in most countries, including European countries," explained the head of the UOCR of the Russian Orthodox Church. - Secondly, the introduction of such passports may cause serious damage to people who, for example, for some reason cannot be vaccinated and have not yet been infected. Will such a person have to wait until he gets sick and recovered in order to visit certain European countries?"

In addition, noted Metropolitan Hilarion, different countries have different vaccines, "and there will not be a single vaccine that will be recognized by the entire world."

"Accordingly, will these vaccination passports include any vaccines or only those that will be recognized on the territory of the European Union? There are still many more questions than answers, and therefore the fears that have been expressed in connection with these proposals are not entirely unfounded," summed up the deputy head of the UOC Russian Orthodox Church.

Recall that EU leaders discussed the introduction of a vaccination certificate for COVID, which will be valid in Europe, and instructed the European Commission to develop it technically. The European Commission intends to present the draft "Digital Green Passports" as early as March. 

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Source: spzh.ru (Russian)