UOC Hierarch: Synod's decisions on coronavirus safeguards are advisory

Metropolitan Filaret (Kucherov) of Lviv and Galicia. Photo: foto.upc.lviv.ua

Metropolitan Filaret (Kucherov), head of the Synodal Department for Health and Pastoral Care of Medical Institutions of the UOC, stressed that the decisions of the Holy Synod of the UOC in connection with the coronavirus are advisory in essence and can be implemented in different ways by hierarchs and clergy.

“The decisions of the Holy Synod are advisory and they provide an opportunity for the bishops and priest to broadly use any preventive methods in spreading the virus and sanitary and epidemiological safety,” Vladyka Filaret said in an interview with the UOJ correspondent.

The Metropolitan drew the attention of the clergy and flock to the fact that it is about generally accepted methods of prevention, which are offered on the website of the Ministry of Health.

“This information is constantly disseminated in the regions through the recommendations of the authorities and the media. The hierarchy of the Church in the localities should be attentive to the recommendations made and, in turn, should inform priests and laity about this,” said Metropolitan Filaret.

He also once again reminded the clergy, temple workers and flock of their personal responsibility when choose to attend worship in a temple.

“We can only relatively understand the state of human health, parishioners themselves must, without any monkey business and with full responsibility, approach their physical state,” the UOC hierarch urged.

Vladyka Filaret explained that temperature diagnostics may not always allow you to see an objective picture.

“A person may not have fever and some other symptoms but still be infected and a carrier of the virus. This thing we cannot control. One needs to be aware of what is happening and try to be at a sufficient distance from each other,” he concluded.

On March 18, 2020, the Holy Synod of UOC made a number of decisions in connection with the coronavirus and published an Address to the flock due to the threat of the spread of this new disease.

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