The Russian Church and the coronavirus
Moscow, March 17 (Interfax) - Patriarch Kirill issues an instruction for Moscow clerics with unprecedented in the newest history of the Russian Orthodox Church preventive measures.
From now on, a spoon will be wiped off with "a cloth soaked in ethanol (with regular renewal of the soaking)" after each communicant and then it will be immersed into water with further utilization of the water," the document posted at the Russian Orthodox Church website reads.
The church's spokesman Vladimir Legoyda explained to Interfax that such a procedure was practiced in pre-revolutionary Russia in period of epidemics.
Then the communicants will receive the drinking mixture only in plastic dispensable cups.
After the Communion dispensable napkins will be used for sponging the mouth, not a piece of cloth as before. These napkins will be further burnt.
Communicants are also urged not to kiss the chalice.
Dispensable gloves will be used for giving antidoron (pieces of blessed bread prosphora given to believers after the Liturgy).
Cotton buds instead of special brushes and paper napkins instead of sponges will be used for anointing, they will also be burnt afterwards.
Besides, the patriarch's instruction recommends not to kiss the cross after the service, but to bless parishioners laying the cross on their heads. Priests are also advised "not to give their hands for kissing."
The document urges to pay increased attention to the cleanness of church vessels and wipe them after each usage at the service, carefully scrubbing them with boiling water.
Assuming this is true, it appears the "plastic dispensable cups" part is a reference to "zapivka" only - the blessed wine consumed in Slavic tradition parishes after communion. (Interfax often has clunky and strange translations to the English)
ReplyDeleteThis fairly reputable Russia news site claims directives only apply to Moscow diocese:
https://meduza.io/en/news/2020/03/17/russian-orthodox-church-devnew-rules-to-fight-coronavirus-spread-but-only-in-moscow
This purports to be the full original text:
http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/5608418.html
"...claims directives only apply to Moscow diocese"
ReplyDeleteI sense some want to contain this contagion of, I don't know, "liberal" lack of faith in a Trice Holy Transubstasiated Heavenly Disinfectant ;) :_)
uummm no. Meduza is a well-known (in journalistic & Russia analysis circles) independent and secular independent news site based in Riga, Latvia. Basically it doesn't have a dog in this fight.
DeleteAs for me (who wrote the initial comment), I'm a journalist myself (who yes is Orthodox) which is why i used words like "claims" and "purported".
Don't assign motives esp if you don't know what your talking about (clearly you've never heard of Meduza - again, very well-known in E. Europe and Russian observer circles).
In short, get lost troll.
Hey, I'm a journalist too!! (or is it to...I'm not an editor) I run www.trollorthodoxy.org. What the skinny on how the EP and his minions in the U.S. State Dept. got to Kirill? Don't worry, I will attribute you first!
DeleteOooh! Now it's fireeaters! Insults against Orthodox Christians who desire to see Churches remain open during a crisis are not helping your argument.
ReplyDeleteMikhail, a "novel" shall we say, way to receive holy communion was introduced and instead of addressing it, you defensively imposed yourself into a discussion where you were not even mentioned. Is this the concern for the Church that you claim to have?
Delete~(Not the "Unknown" above)
David,
ReplyDeleteYour no doubt right. I was having a bit of fun with Unknown as we were talking past each other... ;)
David,
ReplyDeleteBishops are shutting down Churches. They will answer to God for that. There should be more services during a crisis. And what do you do when people yearn for the holy Liturgy. You call them stone throwers and fire eaters. Pathetic little insults.
David,
ReplyDeleteThese are tough times. Sometimes it is the responsibility of the people to admonished their Bishops when they fall into apostasy. Have you ever heard of St. Mark of Ephesus?