LAST UPDATE: 20:20
In an announcement, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece recommends the faithful to remain calm, follow the preventive measures and, of course, to pray “to Jesus Christ Who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light.”
The Archbishop of Athens even had personal contact with the prime minister who asked for the Church’s assistance in informing the faithful. Archbishop Ieronymos reassured Mitsotakis that “the Church of Greece stands by the Greek State and will lend all its support to the progress of the Greek people.”
In its encyclical, the Holy Synod calls on the faithful to “intensify all our prayers to Jesus Christ, Who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light, in order to safeguard His creation in a healthy and complete way.”
In addition, the Holy Synod recommends that those who have symptoms of the disease be temporarily prevented from meeting in public as well as embracing and kissing other people for the sake of health protection.
Finally, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece points out that we must not forget that every difficulty, even disease, can be an opportunity for cohesion and highlight the positive side of human relations, which can be expressed with courage, calmness and solidarity.
All Orthodox Christians are called to serve the will of God, knowing that the divine and dignified treatment of illness constitutes people’s participation in the martyrdom of conscience and sacrifice before God, as well as its essential help and co-operation in order to prevent the disease’s transmission leads to love.