Manolis Dermitzakis, Professor of Genetics at the University of Geneva, spoke on the subject of the Holy Communion in the midst of the pandemic on SKAI TV this morning.
As he characteristically stressed, referring to the tightening of the measures for the protection against the coronavirus announced yesterday by the Greek government, “before they stop economic activities and close businesses, Holy Communion must stop”.
The professor also said that it is not possible to close businesses and at the same time continue the Holy Communion in the churches.
“It should have stopped before we discuss the closure of the restaurants and other economic activities, because we have to decide, it is possible to close a lot of businesses, to have such a big problem in GDP and there is no flexibility on the part of the Church, to use a plastic spoon for the Holy Communion? I consider it unacceptable,” said the professor.
He suggested that the Holy Communion should be performed with a disposable plastic spoon or with a metal spoon of each believer, something that, as he said, has been done in churches of other countries as well.
He characteristically said: “All the Churches in Europe, in America and in Germany are closed. So we are a terrible exception. If the Church decides, as they have done in other Churches around the world, to temporarily change the way of the Holy Communion, either with a plastic spoon or with a metal spoon of each believer, I do not know what flexibility the Church will show. The Church has shown great flexibility in past eras”- he added characteristically.
