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Δευτέρα, 16 Μαρτίου 2020 22:25

Church of Greece to keep cathedrals open only for 'personal worship'

The Church of Greece's Holy Synod on Monday evening announced that cathedrals and chapels in the overwhelmingly Christian Orthodox country will remain open for "personal worship", while at the same time requesting that people, particularly those in high-risk groups, remain in their residence in order to significantly reduce possible exposure to the Covid-19 virus.

The Church of Greece's Holy Synod on Monday evening announced that cathedrals and chapels in the overwhelmingly Christian Orthodox country will remain open only for "personal worship", while at the same time requesting that people, particularly those in high-risk groups, remain in their residence in order to significantly reduce possible exposure to the Covid-19 virus.

Hierarchs of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece convened for more than five hours, under the chairmanship of the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos, to deliberate over more measures to limit any further coronavirus outbreak.

The government, and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis personally, has called on the Greek Church to significantly limit the congregation of faithful in cathedrals, essentially leaving them open only for individual worship.

The Church, before a closure decision issued by the government, allowed a "bare minimum" Divine Liturgy to be celebrated on Sundays, between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., while cancelling daily services. The decision left a "window" open for "necessary" weddings and baptisms, but only with a handful of people allowed in the attendence; the same extended to funeral and interment services.