Nicosia, December 15, 2020
Photo: dimokratiki.gr
The Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus met in an extraordinary session today under the chairmanship of Archbishop Chrysostomos to formulate a response to the state’s latest measures that prohibit the faithful from going to church during the Nativity season.
While the hierarchs understand the state’s responsibility to care for public health, they also consider the new measures to be excessive and unfair to the Church and call upon the state to reconsider them, reports Romfea.
It is also reported following today’s session that most of the Synodal members of the Cypriot Church intend to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
Knowing the psychological sufferings and exhaustion of the deeply religious Cypriot people from the various restrictions, the bishops have sought a different solution to the issue of Church attendance, especially during the upcoming festive period. The people were kept away from church during the Paschal holidays, but the same cannot be done during the Nativity, the bishops state.
Churches should never be compared to places of social gathering or employment, and if provision can be made for the supply of material goods, all the more should provision be made for the spiritual needs of the people, the bishops argue.
Therefore, the Synod calls upon the government to reconsider its position regarding the presence of the faithful during the Divine services, especially on the Great Feasts and Sundays. The hierarchs propose holding several Liturgies in larger communities to accommodate all the faithful who want to partake of the Holy Mysteries while also observing all sanitary measures.
The Synod writes that it is confident that the government will heed the voice of the Church and allow the people to greet the Nativity of Christ in church. In the meantime, Met. Neophytos of Morphou has already declared that he will not enforce or implement any restrictions on Church services in his metropolis, arguing that the law of God is above the law of man.
In conclusion, the hierarchs hope that God will soon bring an end to the pandemic through the people’s prayers and repentance, “so that we can freely return to our former religious life without limitation.”
It is also reported that most members of the Cypriot Synod intend to receive the coronavirus vaccine once its available. The first to express their willingness were Abp. Chrysostomos, Met. Nikiforos of Kykkos, Met. George of Paphos, and Met. Isaiah of Tamassos.
The Synod earlier advised the faithful to receive the vaccine, although Met. Neophytos then clarified that the vote was not unanimous and that he has serious reservations about the vaccine and the greater agenda behind the pandemic.
A team of scientists spoke to the hierarchs, explaining that the likelihood of side effects from the vaccine is small, and that the vaccine contains nothing that can be used to track people or alter their DNA.
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