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Communique of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church
Regarding
the latest recommendations of the Government of Serbia, in order to
suppress the spread of the COVID-19 virus, "religious services in
churches and in the open air are to be performed without the presence of
the faithful", with the clarification that the aim of these
recommendations is a safe way of worship and the protection of public
health, all the while enabling worship to continue, we inform all our
clergy, monastics, and faithful that the Serbian Orthodox Church will
implement these recommendations, as it has already done in those
countries of the Serbian diaspora and other regions where such
protective measures have been taken a few days ago. The Church will not
interrupt the serving of the Divine Liturgy or cease communing the
faithful, because this is a matter which cannot be debated: it is the
basis of our faith in the Living God. Specifically, this means that
during the services in the church there is to be a priest (or priests)
with a deacon, chanter, and an altar server (according to the need and
circumstance).
We urge the faithful, 65 and older, as well as
those of younger in weaker health and lower immunity, to refrain from
coming to church for worship in the coming days and weeks and put
themselves and others at risk.
We repeat: the risk is not in
Holy Communion (on the contrary, we receive it, among other things, "for
the healing of soul and body"), but the real danger of the virus,
unrelated to Holy Communion, is due to its recent spread everywhere, and
the upcoming period has been deemed by both Chinese and our own experts
as the most critical and see an increase of isolation as the only way
to stop it from spreading and avoid the tragic experience in Italy and
some other countries.
To our faithful we impart our paternal,
pastorally responsible and loving blessing that they follow the divine
services by television broadcasts and/or online, via church websites,
and that they schedule with their parish priests communion at home in
due time.
All other services, particularly Holy Baptism, should
be postponed for a later date when the situation has been normalized,
but when it is urgently needed it should be done according to the
measures of the state of emergency. Funerals must be done with as few
amount of people as possible.
We note particularly that we
should not use church attendance as an excuse before one’s conscience
and neighbors for disrespecting the measures of self-isolation.Thus, we
once again call upon all our clergy, monastics, and faithful to abide by
all the precepts of the state and directions regarding church life
prescribed by the Holy Synod of Bishops.
From the Office of the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church
