By George Karoulla *
No one today can question, even in the slightest, the hitherto indisputable successful management of the Ministry of Health and the government in general with the assistance of the legislature following the scientific team's suggestions for tackling the pandemic, and we owe it to ourselves. this effort. We must also recognize the prudent stance taken by the Archbishop and the majority of the hierarchs from the outset.
This prevented the possible spread of the virus, which could be caused by the interfaith fellowship within the temple. A great example is the situation in the Kiev Lavra, where about ninety monks fell ill and three died. Moreover, the stabilization of the numbers in Cyprus and the downward trend of the confirmed cases observed confirms the above position and forms the framework for drawing a safe conclusion of the gradual relaxation of the restrictive measures.
On this basis, the state has prepared a proposal for a possible gradual easing of the restrictive measures, which is necessary for our survival both as a society and as an economy after the prolonged and perfectly justified quarantine for breaking the transmission chain. The general conclusion based on the publications commented by the society is that for some phase we must learn to live in fear of the transmission of the virus and the functioning of society and the economy on the basis of strict protection measures, and this for as long as necessary, until definitive detoxification from the virus and subsequent measures.
One of the aspects that was affected was that of attending churches. So far, almost complete compliance with the state's measures has been observed, and this is confirmed by the relevant social media views. However, we have also experienced cases of non-compliance with all subsequent repressive, criminal or extrajudicial measures. These two tendencies have inextricably formed schools of thought within the church itself, each with pure intentions to preserve the faith, and I do not mean only among the Hierarchs, but mainly within the Christmas crew of the Church. It is also possible, with what we are experiencing these days, to develop the phenomenon of religious fanaticism among the population with all the negatives that such an unfavorable development can have for our society with the main possible consequence of creating social and political upheavals and perhaps continuing efforts to overcome any position that ultimately weighs on the collective effort to tackle the pandemic.
Because I believe that successful governance should continue and the intensity of the phenomena I describe above should be avoided, the opening of churches should be included, under certain conditions, in the gradual easing of measures, a proposal which was conveyed by the President of the Democratic Alarm, Mr. Averoff. Neophytou to the President of the Republic This development will bring calm among the population and more specifically between the Christmas crew away from any emotion but in pragmatic terms to offer the possibility of partial attendance of believers in our churches.
It is also worth mentioning that through the projections of the sacred services these days on social media has been revealed, and this is quantified, the large number of believers who follow online, which reaches up to tens of thousands in some cases. This finding clearly proves the need that the faithful have, classifying this need as a primary, in "kind of essential need" the giving of thanks to God and the faithful devotion of our people to our faith.
With the above in mind, I have the humble opinion that there is a way for churches to function, in the presence of believers, through the implementation of necessary protection measures. To this end, we consider it necessary for the state to immediately proceed with the inclusion of the gradual opening of churches for believers from the first phase of the relaxation of the measures. In our view, this is possible by taking precautionary measures to eradicate the contagion of the virus in the temples in the model that the state will impose. At the point where we have reached the limit of the virus thanks to the sacrifices of all of us and we must recognize that the risk of transmission will always exist and that we cannot have everything closed indefinitely. In this phase we recognize the need to continue efforts to prevent but also that life must continue and that we must coexist with the virus through strict protection measures while preserving the health of the faithful and our faith.
More specifically, I suggest that as in any temple, arrangements can be made to decongest the attendance. This can be done in different ways depending on the potential of the staff of each church and the population of the faithful of each parish. In other words, operations can be performed daily or day by day so that decongestion is possible only with one operation per week. Sacred temples also have the ability to function more than once a day, especially on Saturdays and Sundays to have the opportunity to do so. Each church may also provide the ability to monitor the procession from the temple precinct to the base of measures as explained below or as the state wanted to impose. In addition, because we are entering a summer season, there may be an incentive for outdoor activities, of course, following the following measures again.
It is also our suggestion to recommend to the elderly and people belonging to vulnerable groups not to come or stay outside the temple.
In addition, for the smooth operation of each temple, I suggest the following so as to ensure the health of the faithful and our faith:
A. Before the operation of the temple
Before the operation of the church under the new conditions and for the smoother and safer reopening of the temples, we suggest that the space be prepared with the following:
B. During the operation of the temple
Necessary additional measures
The reward is prepared by a specific person who wears gloves and a mask. This should be offered in disposable bags or wrapped in tissues.
During the Divine Liturgy there should be people from the church staff who are outside the temple to enforce the measures.
As for the chapels, their operation should be governed by the above measures and their operation should be approved as suggested above.
Ecclesiastical commissioners should ensure that these measures are followed during the services.
As for the funerals and Mysteries, again following the above to be carried out on the basis of a code that will be decided by the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus.
Finally, in my view the possibility of the opening of churches in the midst of a coronation must be given due attention beyond the highest theological goal must be by taking specific measures, the faithful to be able to go to church without violating them. decrees and especially without endangering their health.
* George Karoullas, Member of Parliament for DISY Famagusta
Member of the Throne Committee of the Holy Metropolis of Constantia - Famagusta
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