In the Rostov region, the congregation of churches will issue special permits that allow them to get to places without problems with the law
Moscow-Live.ru / Olga shuklina
In the Rostov region, the congregation of churches will issue special permits that allow them to get to places without problems with the law. This told the press Secretary of the head of Donskoy the Archdiocese Igor Petrovsky in the air of radio “Komsomolskaya Pravda”.
“there Was a meeting at the highest level, decided temples for prayers not close. The priests are the same actors as the representatives of Regardie or doctors. We have a lot of people come for help, asking to go to the house, communion, confess,” – said Petrovsky.
According to him, the closure of churches in quarantine can lead to disaster.”If we close the temples, we will plunge people into the abyss of depression,” he added.
In the Rostov region revealed nine cases of infection with coronavirus. On 31 March there was a regime of universal isolation. Meanwhile, earlier media reports said that representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church “sabotage” of the order about restriction of Church services for the duration of the coronavirus.
So, the head of the legal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate abbess Xenia (Chernega) criticized the orders of the authorities of St. Petersburg to ban visits to churches in connection with the threat of infection is coronavirus. While the Federation of Jewish communities of Russia has closed its synagogues throughout the country, and in ycal mosques ceased to be public prayers, the ROC is limited to the mailing of the circular to dioceses and a statement to the media that the temples will close only when the stop public transport and all shops.
According to the instructions of the Patriarchy sent to the parishes, should only often to disinfect, wipe licy during the communion of the laity, to use disposable cotton swabs when anointing with oil and the cups back. But even these half-measures in most cases are not respected: the poor provincial parishes refer to the lack of funds and the rich monasteries (e.g., the Trinity-Sergius Lavra) argue that the infection does not transmit through the sacrament. Meanwhile in Sergiev Posad already registered the first cases of infection – the head of the local old believer community in a serious condition hospitalized with coronavirus in clinical hospital N 40 in Kommunarka.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who heads the working group of the state Council on coronavirus, warned that from 30 March, when Moscow will close almost all offices, restaurants, cafes, open shops, etc., will be limited and access to the premises of religious organizations.
the working group of the Moscow Patriarchate, though “understanding”, but negatively responded to the warning Sobyanin. “The pastoral responsibilities of the clergy will be fully enforced against all those believers who find themselves in this difficult time to come to the temple,” the group said. This means that any changes in the liturgical structure of the Orthodox Church is not made.
it is not excluded that the churches can really be a source of infection: 2 March, the head of the South Korean Christian sect “Temple of the tabernacle of the testimony Sinh-change” Lee man Hee apologized to the nation for his flock inadvertently introduced a new coronavirus in South Korea. By the time South Korea was overregistered more than 4,000 cases of infection Covid-19, about 60% of people who are diagnosed with the disease, were members of this sect.
