The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece issued an announcement, entitled “Words of consolation to the pious Orthodox faithful,” in order to respond to the concerns of the faithful, and to the accusations regarding the restrictive measures taken for the Holy Week.
“Being fully aware of our responsibility towards the flock, which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to us, and with a good conscience that we have done our duty, always being truthful and honest, we aver that the synodal decisions concerning the coronavirus pandemic were made after extensive prayer and great anxiety,” said the Standing Holy Synod.
It is added: “In no case did we decide quickly, airily, frivolously, and, of course, none of the decisions violated the doctrine and ethos of our Church.”
“Our decision to temporarily abstain from our worship synaxis still hurt us. Our hearts sank when we see the holy temples closed without the flock of the Church.”
It is emphasized that this decision was made out of love for our fellow human beings and out of respect for the precious good of health and the preservation of life.
The Church of Greece emphasizes: “The temporary suspension of our worship synaxis does not in any way mean that we accept the views of those who claim that the coronavirus can be transmitted through the Mystery of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is a source of Life and “Medicine for Immortality” for the faithful.
“It is certain that this year’s Holy Week and Easter are very different from the previous ones. We will be deprived of what we used to take for granted in other circumstances. This year we will celebrate Easter ‘in distance.’ However, if we really long for our encounter with the Crucified and Risen Lord, we must be sure that we will meet Jesus ‘in another form’ wherever we are, in our bedroom, in our home, in our individual prayer,” emphasizes the Standing Holy Synod.
The announcement of the Holy Synod concludes by calling on the faithful to stay at home and pray. “I stay home and I am sure that Jesus Christ will come to my home and transform it into a home of God. In this home, I will celebrate the Holy Week and Easter.”