You will not obey the block.
The Greek Orthodox Church told priests on Monday not to observe the Greek government’s decree to close houses of worship as part of the country’s new tightened restrictions on coronavirus.
The conservative church issued a statement directing religious leaders to allow worshipers to gather indoors for the services of Wednesday’s Epiphany Feast.
The Holy Synod said it “does not accept” the one-week restriction issued in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 before the planned reopening of schools.
The January 3 to 10 blockade comes after Greece closed schools and largely suspended economic activity in November due to the rise in infections that almost filled hospitals.
These measures were partially relaxed before Christmas, allowing churches to resume some activities.
But the authorities are now restarting strict regulations for a week, before the school reopens scheduled for January 11.
Since the start of the pandemic, orthodox authorities have had a mixed response to health and safety measures, ranging from moderate support to severe opposition.
Greece has fared better at controlling the virus than many other European nations, with approximately 136,000 confirmed cases in total and less than 5,000 deaths, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
Wired Poles