Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed the Greek people on the occasion of the spread of the coronavirus.
He stressed, inter alia, that “in this critical juncture for the country and the world community, any complacency is unacceptable.”
He also made a special reference to an issue that has initiated a public debate and is related to the Church.
“Personally, in recent days I have felt a strong need to rely on my faith to draw strength and to rise to the occasion.
I’m sure many of you felt the same way. As Prime Minister, however, I have to listen to the scientific experts. What applies to public gatherings also applies to our churches. Today, we are not testing our “beliefs”, but our faith in human health. The love for the “neighbour” to which Orthodoxy is referring too,” he said.
“That is why the religious duties must also be adapted to reality. And to be carried out, as far as possible, from home, to limit large congregations. The Church of the believers, after all, is big. I look forward to the Church’s leadership support in this common cause. But my institutional role requires me to be clear on the subject. I know that faith often begins where science ends. But the faith we need now is that we will be able to overcome the crisis. As long as, all of us follow the instructions of doctors and specialists. And we should always considere that we are not only responsible for ourselves, but for all Greeks beside us,” he stressed.