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Hanover (dpa) - The council chairman of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, has campaigned for more freedom for vaccinated people and a spirit of «indulgence».

"We have known for a long time that the mental incidence values ​​are rising more and more," said Bedford-Strohm on Saturday in Hanover at the digitally organized conference of the EKD Synod.

"That is why it is so important to allow all the freedom that is compatible with health protection."

He encourages everyone who has not yet been vaccinated against the coronavirus to rejoice with those who have already been vaccinated, who can now enjoy certain freedoms again without risk.

"No one benefits from maintaining all restrictions, including those who have been vaccinated," said the Munich regional bishop. "It would also be irresponsible to simply withhold customers who are now possible without health risk from all those who are in restaurants, hotels, the cultural world and many other industries at the end of their material and emotional strength." Envy is not a Christian virtue.

"All of us in this country are in fact among the favored in this world, if you look at the extreme injustice in the global distribution of vaccines," said Bedford-Strohm.

"Vaccines are simply unaffordable for the poorer countries of the southern hemisphere because the developed countries have secured 80 percent of the available vaccines."

This is a humanitarian scandal and a downright short-sightedness, because the virus can only be defeated globally or not at all.

That is why the «indulgence» also applies globally.

"We shouldn't hesitate to dispense quantities of vaccine, even if our own vaccination is then a little delayed."

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Conference of the Synod of the EKD