MARCH 9, 2020 BY MICHAEL STONE
Stupid For Jesus: In a disastrous public health move, the Greek Orthodox Church has issued an official statement declaring that the coronavirus is not transmitted via communion.
Greek Reporter reports:
The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece issued a statement on Monday referring to the Covid19 coronavirus outbreak, maintaining that Holy Communion does not transmit the virus.
The new, controversial statement comes after days of heated public debate in Greece about whether the Church of Greece should adopt more drastic measures to limit the potential spread of the disease through its liturgies and the Holy Eucharist.
Reuters reports:
Greece’s Orthodox Church said that Holy Communion, the partaking of wine soaked in bread from the same chalice for atonement from sins, would continue despite the coronavirus outbreak.
In a statement, The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece declared:
For the members of the Church, attending Eucharist and Communion through the common glass of life certainly cannot be a cause of disease transmission.
That’s right, church officials are claiming that sharing wine from a common spoon does not have the potential to transmit the coronavirus.
The stupid, it burns. And Kills.
The statement continued:
Faithful of all ages know that coming to receive Holy Communion, even in the midst of a pandemic, is both a practical affirmation of self-surrender to the Living God, and an apparent manifestation of love.
Bishop Chrysostomos of Patras also denied that communion could spread disease, claiming:
Whoever believes that holy communion is life has nothing to fear, it’s a matter of faith. Across the centuries, there is no case of sickness spreading through Holy Communion.
Commenting on the church’s disgraceful policy compared to other moves to limit public exposure to the virus, former deputy health minister Pavlos Polakis asked parliament:
How can we halt gatherings such as the carnival, and allow people in churches to drink out of the same spoon?
While former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called the church’s response “anti-scientific, anachronistic and a threat to public health.”
The following is a sample of reactions via twitter:
Meanwhile in Greece, the ruling body of the Greek Orthodox church declares that receiving holy communion is ‘a practical affirmation of self-surrender to the Living God’ and as such, those who partake are immune to the coronavirus711:19 AM – Mar 9, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacySee Catherine Karelli’s other Tweets
In Greece:
Politicians, priests and scientists defend the Communion ritual of the Greek Orthodox Church where the believers eat a piece of bread with wine from the same shared spoon,arguing that it poses no threat for #coronavirus infections.
Dark Age thinkers,for sure.#Greece94:58 AM – Mar 9, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacySee Spyros Chatzigiannis’s other Tweets
Daphne Papadopoulou@daphnenews
The Holy Synod, the ruling body of the Greek Orthodox Church, said today that the coronavirus cannot be transmitted through holy communion. Completely irresponsible behaviour https://twitter.com/ERTsocial/status/1236996251314421760 …ΕΡΤ Α.Ε.✔@ERTsocialΙερά Σύνοδος της Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος: Ο κορονοϊός δεν μεταδίδεται με τη Θεία Κοινωνία https://www.ert.gr/frontpage/iera-synodos-tis-ekklisias-tis-ellados-o-koronoios-den-metadidetai-me-ti-theia-koinonia/ …1248:57 AM – Mar 9, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy72 people are talking about this
The Greek Orthodox Church insists that Coronavirus cannot be transmitted via using the same spoon for communion wine. Please note those going to church are mainly the old and vulnerable.
The government needs to step the hell up, this is criminal https://twitter.com/kathimerini_gr/status/1236992433214365696 …Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ✔@Kathimerini_grΙερά Σύνοδος: Ο κορωνοϊός δεν μεταδίδεται με τη Θεία Κοινωνία https://www.kathimerini.gr/1068264 #kathimerini #καθημερινη328:50 AM – Mar 9, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy19 people are talking about this
Bottom line: In a disastrous public health move, the Greek Orthodox Church has issued an official statement declaring that the coronavirus is not transmitted by communion.
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