“The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece notes with sadness that some media never cease to target Orthodox Christians, clergy and laity, as their ideological opponent,” reads the statement issued by the Standing Holy Synod in response to the ironic comments made by some journalists regarding the repose in the Lord of the Metropolitan of Langadas, Ioannis, and his faith in Holy Communion as if they had evidence on the cause of the transmission of the disease.
In the announcement against the distortions of the beliefs of the Church, it is reminded that it is the Church of Greece that issued encyclicals and announcements to ask the people to comply with the health measures inside and outside the churches, never supported the pandemic deniers and never expressed the puerile and pagan view that Orthodox priests or Christians, in general, are not going to get sick because of their status.
From the beginning of the health crisis, the Standing Holy Synod says, the Church continues to cooperate with the State, and the members of the Standing Holy Synod comply with the health measures, urging the clergy and the faithful to comply with the restrictions imposed by the State and suggested by scientific advisors.
As to whether the Church accepts the importance and mission of medical science, it is pointed out what the Holy Bible says: “Give doctors the honor they deserve, for the Lord gave them their work to do” (Sirarch 38:1), emphasizing the crucial presence of faith in God for the healing of the believer: “But at the same time pray to the Lord; and he will heal you” (Sirach 38:1).
The announcement also mentions the insistence of some aspiring thought leaders who deal exclusively with Holy Communion and impose unscientific correlations with the spread of COVID-19 and the “dogmatism” of the faithful without any theological knowledge or competence.
It is pointed out that since the republic guarantees religious freedom, they have no right to ask the Greek State to ban of Holy Communion, calling it “unhealthy” and, of course, they have no right to ridicule the repose of a fellow human being because he was a clergyman of the Church, which they consider as an opposite faction.
In conclusion, the Standing Holy Synod appeals to everyone not to give in to the spread of social racism, to targeting and blaming the sick and the dead of the COVID-19 pandemic for any reason, stating: “We ask everyone to remain restrained, to respect the patients, physicians, nurses and those who fight for the treatment of patients while we ask everyone to show due respect to the late Metropolitan of Langadas, Liti and Rentini who contibuted to all areas of the ministry during his ten-year episcopal ministry.”