And suddenly amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece issued a statement condemning the Yoga, stressing that it has no place in the lives of Christians.” At the same time, the Holy Synod targeted the Rotary Club and the Lions and urged its cleric to refrain from attending their meetings or events.
In the statement the Holy Synod reiterates that “the Holy Communion remains non-negotiable as we have been taught by the teaching of the Orthodox Tradition and the Holy Fathers of our Holy Church.”
Yoga took a prominent position on the statement apparently because it was advised as an anti-stress exercise during the lockdown.
“Yoga is not a form of exercise, but a fundamental chapter of the religion of Hinduism,” the Holy Synod said adding that this is “absolutely incompatible with the Orthodox Christian faith and has no place in the lives of Christians.”
“Holy Communion remains non-negotiable as we have been taught by the teaching of the Orthodox Tradition and the Holy Fathers of our Holy Church”. And at the same time states that yoga has no place in lives of Christians
In the press release issued for the second meeting of the Holy Synod in June, yoga has a “prominent position”,
which, as it is emphasized, is not a kind of gymnastics, but a fundamental chapter of the religion of Hinduism. Rotary – Lions are also in the sights of the Holy Synod
In the same statement the Holy synod warns about the “neo-protestant organization Hellenic Missionary Union”
of the “new, heretical movements,” as it characteristically notes.
The Holy synod call son all Bishops and “and the Holy Clergy of the Church of Greece” to refrain from any event organized by the Rotary and the Lions organizations.
According to the Synod statement, activities of the two organizations are not limited to social events, but also extend to religious acts. “They have a formal admission ritual for new members and determine prayer addressed to a god, with the general meaning of the term and not according to our Orthodox Christian Faith.”
sources: tanea, ekklisiaonline, protagon
