Παρασκευή 3 Απριλίου 2020

METROPOLITAN EMMANUEL SPEAKS TO TNH ABOUT CORONAVIRUS IN FRANCE

Metropolitan Emmanuel of France is offering the Holy Eucharist at the St. Stephanos Cathedral in Paris behind closed doors due to the coronavirus. (Photo by Metropolis of France)

BOSTON – His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France in an exclusive interview with The National Herald spoke about the situation in France, which has seen a tremendous outbreak of the coronavirus, and about his Metropolis. He said “we also have cases of clergy and believers infected by the virus”.
The National Herald: Your Eminence, please describe the climate in Paris and in France in general due to the coronavirus?
Metropolitan Emmanuel: The COVID-19 pandemic, or coronavirus, has also hit France, where today there are about 30,000 confirmed cases, and about 2,000 of our fellow humans are reported dead.
France, like most European countries, is experiencing an extraordinarily difficult crisis. A crisis that no one was prepared for, and the “invisible enemy,” as President Emmanuel Macron characterized it, took us by surprise.
In this context, the population has been ordered by law to remain in their homes; they can leave home only with a letter from their employer or a special certificate (stating that they are leaving the house to purchase basic necessities, seek medical care, or exercise briefly). This was clearly a difficult and unthinkable move for anyone. However, these restrictions appear to be the only means by which we can stop the spread of the virus. Curtailing personal freedom to ensure the health of all.
TNH: Are there any infected among your congregants in the parishes of your Metropolis?
Met. Emmanuel: On Friday, March 13, the decision was made to close the parishes of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France and they remain closed, although parish priests are allowed to celebrate services within strict physical limits and boundaries. I think that under the current circumstances, everyone understands that the Divine Liturgy and other services should be celebrated in moderation and in a manner appropriate for the situation.
Of course we also have cases of clergy and believers infected by the virus. France is not alone in its affliction, of course – there are similar cases in other neighboring countries. We try to offer whatever support we can, so broadcasting services, where possible, is a consolation.
Of course, the Divine Liturgy is experienced by the communion of the faithful, clergy and people, and cannot be replaced by watching the Liturgy on television or online. We hope that God will soon allow the pandemic to end and allow us to return to our normal life.
TNH: Recently French President Macron called in teleconference the Religious Leaders of the country. Did you participate in that conference?
Met. Emmanuel: On Monday, March 23, President Macron took the initiative of inviting representatives of France’s main religions and churches, as well as the Minister of the Interior and other actors, to an audio-conference. The 90-minute conversation raised a number of issues concerning the current situation and how it is being handled. The risk of many of our fellow men and women dying, and the need for the Authorities to be adequately prepared, as well as issues such as funerals, were mentioned, since the virus could even be transmitted by the remains of deceased victims. Funerals and internments were therefore limited to 10 people, who must be close relatives.
The participants in the meeting also discussed the issues of serving the homeless in France and the migrants cared for by various organizations. One important decision was to set up a hotline for relatives of victims of the coronavirus to seek comfort and information, with the involvement of leaders of each religious community.
TNH: Did you discuss the upcoming Easter?
Met. Emmanuel: The issue of this year’s Holy Week and Easter was of course raised, and President Macron was unequivocal in his decision that, given the current situation and the spread of the pandemic, it would not be possible for Christians to celebrate Easter, for Jews to celebrate Pesach, or for Muslims to celebrate Ramadan with assemblies of the faithful. This is certainly our decision made unwillingly, but we are keenly aware of the realities of this situation and there is no doubt that we must rise to the occasion. The words of His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch a few days ago were clear: “However, that which is at stake is not our faith – it is the faithful. It is not Christ – it is our Christians. It is not the God-man – but human beings.”
At this point, the pandemic is in flux and the situation should last at least until May. So we must use common sense to respond to the situation.
A well-known elder, Father Zacharias at the Essex Monastery of the Forerunner in England, wrote recently in a beautiful text: “If we cannot celebrate Easter, let us remember that every contact with Christ is Easter. We receive His grace in every Divine Liturgy because Jesus Christ is present and is the mystery and He is the one the faithful receive, but when we pray and call upon His Name, we feel the very presence of Christ and receive His grace. We are deprived of the Divine Liturgy, but we have the invocation of the name and not are deprived of the Lord. ”
TNH: How do you view the coronavirus crisis?
Met. Emmanuel: I humbly believe that this pandemic is a test that God has allowed in the context of His love for man, not to destroy us, but to have compassion on us. As we are saved from danger, now we must come to our senses and recover from the drunkenness of pride, vanity, stupidity, and indifference. I sincerely believe that this is a time of repentance in the full sense of the word. A time to change our minds, change the way we think and act. It is time to bring God into our lives – to borrow an expression from Aristotle, to see the essence and not the infinite. Our conversation with the French President ended with the following words: “After the crisis our lives will certainly be unlike anything we have experienced so far.”
I am convinced that our lives should have changed, without denying the progress of science, by acquiring a new perspective and goal, especially for us as Orthodox Christians. Let Christ be the center of our lives, and may everything that is useful and beneficial for us flow from Him.