The Holy Synod of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece hereby affirms, for the sake of avoiding any misinterpretation or misunderstanding, that our Church believes fully in the sanctity and dignity of human life from the moment of conception of the Divinely created human being within his or her mother’s womb.
The Holy Synod unreservedly condemns any attempt to terminate pregnancy as murder and declares its total opposition to the fearful sin of abortion under any conditions and for whatever reason it may be performed.
The Holy Synod also expresses its categorical opposition to the creation of human embryonic cell lines deriving from abortion for any purpose or reason whatsoever, experimental or otherwise, for the supposed accomplishment of “socially beneficial” or “therapeutic” purposes. This is unacceptable, inadmissible, and immoral, according to the Faith of the Orthodox Church.
Furthermore, the Holy Synod considers laudable and worthy of support every attempt to replace these cell lines with other research programs not associated with abortions, as well as every movement for the protection of the rights of the unborn child.
The Holy Synod is in the process of ascertaining from valid sources, which medical products are related to these cell lines or not, and to what extent, in order to state its position precisely.
From the Chief-Secretariat of the Holy Synod of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
Athens, April 21/May 4, 2021
Translated from the Greek original