Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had a discussion with Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens in the context of planning the Greek government’s policy to counter the spread of the coronavirus.
The Greek PM has asked Archbishop Ieronymos that churches remain open only for individual worship and for performing important mysteries. A handful of people will be allowed inside the churches.
The matter is expected to be discussed at an extraordinary session of the Holy Synod. In addition, it is known since Friday that the administration of the Church of Greece was seriously considering the possibility of temporarily suspending worship services in Greece until Lazarus Saturday.
Following the government’s decision on Friday to close schools, sports fields, theatres, cinemas, restaurants and cafés in order to prevent the coronavirus spread, it seems impossible that the temples will remain open.
At the same time, different Metropolitan’s approaches to the issue compel the Church at the highest level to make decisions, especially after the prime minister’s address who explicitly mentioned the issue of places of worship. “Whatever is valid for public gatherings also relates to churches as well,” the prime minister said in his address.