The Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece on Wednesday, after a marathon session, announced that services for Holy and Great Easter Week, known as “Passion Week”, and Divine Liturgies will be conducted in closed, to worshipers, cathedrals and chapels around the eastern Mediterranean country, the result of strict precautions to prevent exposure to the coronavirus.
The session was convened via teleconference to avoid possible exposure.
“We hope and pray that the danger will soon pass, so we all, clergy and laity, have the honor of celebrating the brilliant Resurrection of our Lord … between Tuesday May 26 to Wednesday May 27, 2020, the Apodosis of Pascha.”
A communique issued after the extraordinary Holy Synod session noted that it was “with great and literally heartfelt pain that the upcoming Holy Week and the Resurrection of the Lord will witness the Church’s members living through unprecedented situations, abstaining from Holy Services, the Divine Liturgy and from Holy Communion”.
The Holy Synod also announced the immediate donation of 150,000 euros to public healthcare institutions in the country, while hierarchs also said they will forego a month’s pay, which will also be providing to efforts to combat the pandemic.