In a brief and pithy statement, the Greek Government Spokesperson, Stelios Petsas, expressed the government’s position on the extraordinary enlarged meeting of the Standing Holy Synod that will meet this afternoon.
Speaking to the state-owned TV channel ERT1, Stelios Petsas made clear, “The government will do whatever it takes to protect public health,” implying that if the decision to close churches is not made by the Holy Synod, the government itself will do so.
However, Stelios Petsas expressed optimism that “there is enough maturity to expect normal self-regulation by the Church.”