ALL
MOSCOW CHURCHES
CLOSED TO PARISHIONERS
In
accordance with a
circular letter from Metropolitan of Voskresensk Dionisy, first
vicar bishop of
His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus, all churches of
Moscow and Moscow
oblast will be closed for parishioners from 13 to 19 April 2020.
This
measure has been
adopted in order to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.
It is
reported that
the administration of the Moscow patriarchate for the city of
Moscow received
today an order of the head of the state sanitary physician for
the city of
Moscow, E.E. Adreeva, to ensure "a temporary suspension of
citizens' visiting
of territories, buildings, objects, and structures (premises
within them)
belonging and/or subordinate to the administration of the Moscow
patriarchate
for the city of Moscow, with the exception of clergy and also
persons whose
presence is necessary for conducting worship services and for
the functioning
of liturgical buildings and also for the conduct of online
streaming of worship
services" in the aforesaid period.
His
Holiness
Patriarch of Moscow and all-Rus Kirill blessed the rectors of
all parishes and
affiliates, and abbots and hegumens of stavropegial monasteries
located in
Moscow and the oblast, to comply with the order and to conduct
worship services
only with the participation of clergy of the church and also
employees and
volunteers whose presence is necessary.
"In the
difficult time being experienced now, when we all—bishops,
priests, deacons,
monastics, and laity—are deprived of the possibility to be
together in the
churches for Passion and Paschal services, we should intensify
prayer, seeing
the trial that has befallen us as a path to strengthening
fidelity to God and
love for one another," an announcement to parishioners on the
website of
the Moscow patriarch says. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 April 2020)
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