“The Church of Crete kindly awaits Her faithful children, on Sunday, May 17, 2020,” the Hierarchs of Crete said in view of the opening of the churches for the faithful.
The Eparchial Synod of the Church of Crete in today’s meeting “welcomes the opening of our Holy Temples” while urging those belonging to the vulnerable groups of the population to be especially careful, emphasizing that “the parish priests are always at their disposal, for all their spiritual needs.”
The Hierarchs of Crete clarify regarding the “non-negotiable and self-evident Mystery of the Eucharist,” emphasizing that “there is no Church without the Holy Communion”. At the same time, they hasten to praise those who have publicly taken a stand on the issue by expressing “their respect for the Mystery of the Church and its assured faith and experience,” and call on everyone to respect the fact that faith is a personal matter and “no one has the right to call it into question, in ways that offend the freedom of human beings.”
They also emphasize that Easter was painfully celebrated without believers, and that the attitude of the Church was sacrificial, motivated by love and not fear. “It was a decision of responsible and conscious choice, and its sole purpose was to preserve the living image of God in the face of every human being.”
The Church of Crete praises and congratulates everyone from the scientific community and every other field, who have publicly expressed, during this period, their respect for the Mystery of the Church and its assured faith and experience.
It also calls on everyone to understand and respect that the issue of faith is personal to every human being, is a constitutionally guaranteed right and that no one has the right to question it in ways that offend freedom.