ROSTOV
DIOCESE
PERMITS ATTENDING CHURCHES IN MASKS AND RECOMMENDS REFRAINING
FROM KISSING
ICONS
Interfax-Religiia,
18
May 2020
The
Rostov-on-Don
diocese prepared practical instructions for parishes and
monasteries of the Don
metropolia for the gradual exit from the regime of anti-epidemic
restrictions.
"It is
prohibited to enter the territory of a parish or monastery
without a protective
mask or a respirator. It is necessary to air out church
buildings and working
spaces every two to four hours," the official website of the
diocese
states.
It is
also required
to conduct wet cleaning before opening and after closing the
church buildings.
Every two to four hours, sanitize the church's icons that are
accessible for
veneration and the surfaces of church furniture that is in
general use.
"Before
the
performance of the sacraments of baptism, anointing, and extreme
unction, and
blessing of homes, determine that those wishing to participate
in the rituals
do not have symptoms of the coronavirus infection (COVID-19),"
the notice
says.
In
addition, it is
required to minimize the possibility of kissing icons by
parishioners, to
refrain from anointing with oil altogether, or to conduct it
with disposable
cotton swabs, which are then incinerated. "Do not present the
hand for
kissing and distribute consecrated bread in disposable cups,"
the diocese directs.
According
to
information from the press service, performance of baptism is
permitted only
individually, followed by sanitizing the font twice. It is also
required to
limit the number of persons attending a wedding.
Besides
all this, it
is necessary to eliminate singing by large choirs, limiting the
number to no
more than three or four persons, who observe distancing between
singers of at
least two meters.
It is
preferred to
conduct divine services in the open air. It is also stated to
suspend the work
of Sunday schools, parish sections, and circles, and to prohibit
church groups
from conducting athletic, cultural, public, and other mass
events until further
notice. (tr. by PDS, posted 18 May 2020)
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