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.