Sunday, April 11, 2021

Antiochian Archdiocese continues normalization process

(Antiochian) - Holy Week and Pascha Directives from His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH 

Beloved Hierarchs and Reverend Clergy, 

Greetings and blessings to you all during this holy season of Lent! ​

As we approach the days of Holy Week and Pascha, we understand the desire for our people to experience the fullness of the divine services after having been deprived of them last year. As the country continues to open up in the coming weeks, we would like to give the following update as promised in our last directives before Lent. 

Given the greatly varying local conditions, we advise the pastors, in consultation with their parish councils, to use their best pastoral judgment allowing as many people as possible to attend the services of Holy Week and Pascha in a safe manner. In order to safely include as many of the faithful as possible, we must continue with appropriate cleaning and use of face coverings. Again, using your pastoral discretion, you may plan for processions as normal during Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Pascha. Likewise, if safe conditions allow, you may also plan for gatherings with food after services, following guidelines from our last directive and local health departments. 

With prayerful best wishes a glorious celebration of Holy Pascha, I remain, 

Yours in the service of Christ,

 ​

+JOSEPH

Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America 

6 comments:

  1. Basically, "Keep on doing whatever it is you're doing."

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    1. The best kind of directives. It's evidence that the Church has overall reacted and adjusted well over the past year. I certainly appreciate the willingness to adjust *locally* - no one size fits all directions...

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  2. The next step is lifting mandates altogether. The Church has no business doing rhe government's work for them.

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  3. Well most the time this works, but we are having a DRAWING to see who and who cannot attend Liturgy on Pascha. Lord have mercy!

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  4. I would also comment that we must ask our Bishops to add a liturgical prayer asking for the complete end to all abortion. Now because of covid 19, the priest prays for the end to the pandemic in a special prayer at the end of the liturgy, but where is this prayer asking mercy for these children?

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  5. The worldly powers want the restrictions to be the "new normal". At some point the bishops will have to stop allowing death to rule.

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