An encyclical was sent by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece to the Metropolises of the Church of Greece on how the churches will operate in compliance with the decisions of the Government and the Joint Ministerial Decision.
Specifically, from December 15, 2020 to January 7, 2021, the Holy Temples will remain open for the faithful for veneration and individual prayer.
At the entrance to the Holy Temple, the observance of the distances of 2m between the faithful must be applied and 1 person per 15sqm, with a maximum allowed number of believers in small churches of twenty-five (25) persons and in Metropolitan Churches of fifty (50) persons. The Priests and the staff of the Holy Temples are excluded.
The faithful are obliged to wear a mask which they will remove only while receiving the Holy Communion. The staff of the Holy Temples are obliged to wear a face mask, gloves, while the priests and the cantors are exempted from the obligatory use of a mask exclusively during the Holy Services.
The number of cantors of each choir can not exceed 3 people and with a distance of 3 meters between them.
At the entrances of the Holy Temples there will be antiseptics – disinfectants and in a prominent place of the temple there will be sanitary equipment (tissues, paper towels).
During the distribution of communion wafers a 2m. distance is required between the faithful. The encyclical recommends, where possible, more Divine Liturgies to be performed on the same day, in order to avoid overcrowding of the faithful and after adequate ventilation for half an hour between the services. In addition, it is recommended to perform the Orthros after the Vespers, the postponement of the small Vigils in the afternoon, as there is a traffic ban after 10 pm.
Finally, during the Epiphany there will be no processions outside the temples, as well as the Great Sanctification rite with the Great Blessing of the Waters. In order to avoid overcrowding in front of the containers with the Great Sanctification, it will be placed in vials and will be distributed to the faithful.