LONDON (UK) – Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, received a shot of the coronavirus vaccine and exhorted people across the globe to get vaccinated, saying that getting the jab was part of the Christian commandment to love thy neighbour as thyself.
The spiritual leader of the Anglican communion, which counts 85 million people spread across 165 countries, shared on Twitter a picture of getting the shot and described the quick development of vaccines against the new coronavirus as an answer to prayer.
“Jesus Christ calls us to love our neighbour as ourselves. Getting the vaccine is part of that commandment: we can show our love for each other by keeping each other safe from this terrible disease,” he said.
“To everyone in this country and across the world, I want to say please, please accept the invitation to get the jab when it comes — and encourage everyone around you to do the same.”
The 65-year-old received the jab as part of the priority group of frontline healthcare workers as he volunteers at St Thomas’ Hospital near his residence at Lambeth Palace. He is also part of the hospital’s chaplaincy team.
The archbishop said healthcare workers in the National Health Service and across the world were facing immense pressure because of the pandemic, adding that getting the vaccine was how people could help relieve the burden on them.
Reluctance to get the vaccine by a section of the population is a major problem, according to health workers and the archbishop is one of the leading public figures in the country who are persuading people to accept the shots.
