Greek state broadcaster ERT invited a spiritual authority to give answers to commoners’ crucial and practical contemporary questions: is there any coronavirus contamination risk during the Holy Communion?
There is no problem between the coronavirus and the Holy Communion “because Christ had never been a germs carrier,” priest Stylianos Karpathiou taught the panicked faithful, two days after the first four people were tested positive in Greece.
Father Stylianos priest also sharply criticized those questioning whether the tiny spoon with which dozens or hundreds mouths share the blessed wine every Sunday could be a tool for mass contamination with coronavirus.
Critics “who try to use epidemics to attack our religion,” was father Stylianos’ convincing argument.
He stressed that the [possible] ban on congregations (in cinemas, theaters and churches) would not be implemented in churches because the Christians soldiers would defy it.
“Nobody can prevent anyone from going to church” because “only if they deploy tanks in front of churches we will not go there.”
Πόσο πιο χαμηλά; pic.twitter.com/NTJMV4Xj7n
— Tassos Morfis (@TassosMorfis) February 28, 2020
When a woman posted on the ERT FB page a comment asking how the Greek Orthodox rituals like kissing icons or share the Holy Communion comply with the coronavirus hygiene protocol, father Stylianos had a prompt answer:
“In any case, this lady neither kisses icons nor takes the Holy Communion, in our church, in our faith we do not interpret things with the logic.”
Apparently not all Greek Orthodox high-ranking clergy share father Stylianos’ views a Bishop to have posted on a religious issues website ekklisiaonline instructions for protections from coronavirus inside the church.
Among other, instructions restrict contacts between the clergy and the congregation as much as possible. All faithful should wear face masks in the church, refrain from kissing the clergy’s hands and also do not take the blessed piece of bread “antidoro” from another person, just directly from the tray as they leave the church.
And most important: The faithful should no kiss the icons, just bow in respect in front of them.
I like the admission that there is no logic in the Greek Orthodox Church:-)
Second favourite is the assertion that Christ never had any germs. The implication would seem to be that he was never actually alive!
Sir, your your statement is ludicrous. First of all, Christ healed countless people of diseases in the the New Testament. He IS the medicine that cures the ailments that plague humanity. To believe that His Body and Blood, that we Orthodox truly believe is in the chalice, is tainted with disease, is not only blasphemous but shows how weak your faith ( if you’re a believer ) is. One more thing to note is, that at the end of the liturgy, the priest consumes every last drop of the Eucharist. Not one priest ever got sick from doing this. Why? Because no disease can exist in Christ!
You are the text book example of what is wrong with the human species on this planet. Release yourself from the poisons of religion and politics and simply be one with God and nature. Priests get sick all the time..more so than the average person due to them being in constant contact with others in a closed church environment. Jesus was all human – BUT of a higher spiritual level than all others. God does not need a proxy. If you want to find love you do not go to a prostitute. You have much to learn…(thiaoouba prophecy)
>>First of all, Christ healed countless people of diseases in the the New Testament.
Yet strangely, nobody anywhere wrote about this mystery healer at the time.
>>To believe that His Body and Blood, that we Orthodox truly believe is in the chalice, is tainted with disease, is not only blasphemous but shows how weak your faith ( if you’re a believer ) is.
There’s a lot of South Koreans who would like a word with you.
Be smart and stop human contact during this difficult time. No hand kissing, Icon kissing, common spoon for Communion or you will spread this nasty virus. It has nothing to do with faith. Last time I checked Christians and Priests get sick all the time. This is no time to act foolishly. This is a serious pandemic and if we were to follow your logic/illogic, no Orthodox Christians should get sick during this viral situation. Wait until it’s over then and get back to kissing Icons and partaking of Communion.
Considering that those who attend masses are mostly the elderly, i.e. a high-risk group, these practices are endangering their lives.
Of course ! Diseases NEVER pass the church doors, there is an invisible shield,
Although not a believer I will concede that for the faithful there can be no disease in Christ. The people in the church however can carry the virus, as can the clergy, the icons, and anything else in the church that many people touch.