Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu gave clarifications regarding yesterday’s events in the Cathedral of Saint Spyridon, which led to his arrest today in the context of taking him to court under the flagrant crime procedure.
Metropolitan Nektarios argues that the restrictive measures in places of worship do not prohibit the transmission of the Holy Communion to the few believers allowed inside the temple, noting that “if we disconnect the Holy Communion from the sacrament of the Divine Liturgy, then we abolish the mission of the Church.”
Regarding the extra people who were in the church yesterday, the Metropolitan of Corfu stated that they were necessary for the traditional procession of the shrine of St. Spyridon, which – precisely because of the measures – took place inside the church. The prosecutor, however, insisted on keeping to the letter of the law, according to which such a thing is not provided.
Based on this clarification of the prosecutor, the Metropolitan of Corfu also informed the faithful that the “procession of the holy relic of Saint Spyridon and the epitaph,” a ritual established in 1553, cannot take place, and pointed out that “this violates a 500-year-old tradition.”
Metropolitan Nektarios, finally, suspended the liturgical program he had prepared with his visits to the parishes of the town, during the Holy Week, in order to officiate at the Holy Services.
The Services will be performed only by the priests behind closed doors.