Posted on 03/20/2020 5:46:19 PM PDT by marshmallow
As the coronavirus epidemic continues to spread, the Synods and hierarchs of the various Local Orthodox Churches throughout the world have issued a wide variety of resolutions and guidelines for the parishes and monasteries within their respective jurisdictions.
Some have called for all services to be put on hold, while others have ruled that services will continue with only the priest and a small number of servers and chanters and possibly a small number of parishioners, and others have said that all services will continue as usual. In many places, the Synods and hierarchs have had to act in concert with guidelines coming down from their respective states.
Others, such as the Romanian Patriarchate, have moved to holding all services outdoors, where the faithful have more room to spread out and hopefully not come into contact with any parishioners who may be carrying the virus.
The updated guidelines published by the Chancellery of the Romanian Holy Synod yesterday call on “All parishes and monasteries to respect the measures ordered by the public authorities and cooperate with them, while also ensuring the religious freedom of the believers to participate in the liturgical life of the Church and to receive spiritual assistance.”
To continue the liturgical life of the Church, the guidelines also state that “religious services will be officiated only outdoors, usually near the place of worship (outdoor altar or porch), with the participation of maximum 100 people, keeping a distance of at least one meter between participants.”
The Romanian Patriarchate includes the Metropolia of Bessarabia in Moldova. Likewise, the Metropolis of Chișinău and All Moldova of the Moscow Patriarchate recently announced that Liturgies on the upcoming 3rd and 4th Sundays of Great Lent should be served outdoors on specially erected temporary altars.
(Excerpt) Read more at orthochristian.com ...
On our local news today (Washington, D.C.) they featured a nice young priest who is offering confession in a church parking lot.
Orthodox Ping!
Save Thy people, O Lord,
and bless Thine inheritance.
Grant victory to Thy Church over her enemies,
and protect Thy people by Thy Holy Cross!
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