The heads of two Cypriot dioceses, Paphos and Morpho, spoke out against the part of the new measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus that concerns attendance at church services. They urged the secular authorities “not to deprive people of Christmas”.

Metropolitan George of Paphos called for the total ban on church attendance, imposed from December 11 until the end of the year, recalling that earlier Cypriots had already been deprived of Easter. “At Christmas, people want to go to church. We were preparing to hold two or three services on the main holidays so that as many worshippers as possible could visit churches without violating the legalized maximum of 75 people. Now everything has been turned upside down,” the priest said. At the same time, he said that he would not urge the flock to violate restrictions.

For his part, Metropolitan Morphus Neophytes said that churches in his diocese will remain open to parishioners, and services will be held as planned. “The church has had its own sacred traditions and laws for two thousand years to maintain the psychosomatic health of the faithful. In addition, there is the ancient legal custom of inviolability of temples,” he explained.

The Synod is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, December 15, to discuss the issue.