Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew sent a letter to the primates of Orthodox Churches in which he said that the Ecumenical Patriarchate aimed to coordinate in a uniform manner a communication with the Orthodox Churches on the way the Holy Communion could be offered to the faithful.
In the letter he wrote on the 17th of May, the Ecumenical Patriarch pointed out that, during the period of the pandemic, the Church accepted that the services be performed without the presence of the faithful for their protection.
However, he noted that, in the meantime, many unprecedented views were heard on how to offer the Holy Communion to the faithful: “We cannot remain indifferent to this,” he said. He also highlighted that the Orthodox Church has been abiding by the guidelines given by health and political authorities and that it would continue to do so provided that the essence of our faith is being respected. “The Church can be understanding with all matters on its way to the Cross. But it will never abandon the Cross as long as the Eucharist is called into question,” he added. In addition, he pointed out that the Eucharist was the revelation and experience of the mystery of the Church: “The Lord Himself, by giving us His Body and Blood through the Eucharist, welcomes us to His Kingdom in Heaven.”
Finally, the Ecumenical Patriarch concluded that he would communicate with the primates of the Orthodox Churches in order to listen to their thoughts on the matter. As a result, they will be able to follow the same spiritual path and to deal with the matter concerning the receiving of Holy Communion that has been lately challenged.
