Open the temples of the Russian Orthodox Church would be “in accordance with secular authorities on this issue on the basis of the epidemiologic situation in each specific region”. About this on air of the program “Church and world” on TV channel “Russia 24” said the Chairman of the Synodal Department for external Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev).
“I very much hope that in the near future, in the next few days, we will receive a permit from the sanitary authorities of the city of Moscow, at least, to open temples in the Liturgy a time for the faithful could go to Church, light a candle, leave notes, chat with the priests. The next step will be the opening of the temples for worship. The solution, of course, will not accept Church authority, and secular power,” said Metropolitan Hilarion.
According to the Metropolitan, after the opening of the temples for some time remain a number of precautions – adherence to the social distance between members and limit the total number of worshipers. He noted that all necessary measures will be taken in each region, there are heads of churches will identify measures to exit from the isolation.
“In Moscow it will be the Patriarch, in other regions it will be diocesan bishops,” said Metropolitan Hilarion.
