Osipov: The crux of coronavirus pandemic is absence of love

MTAS Professor Alexei Osipov. Photo: i.ytimg.com

The prime reason for the coronavirus pandemic that engulfed the civilized world is disappearance of all love for each other and other nations. About this, the distinguished professor of Moscow Theological Academy Alexei Osipov said in a comment to the Spas television channel.

“When a crisis sets in or we are affected by some kind of illness, we usually ask: what are the reasons? It is clear that for the Chinese the reason may be purely external – they are mainly not Christians. And how about us? What do we think? It would be extremely useful for all of us to think about this,” said the theologian.

He recalled that the world is organized naturally "not only at the physical level, not only at the biological, mental, but first and foremost, – at the spiritual one."

“The main point that Christianity speaks of is that God is love and there is no greater commandment than love for Him and love for one's neighbor,” continued Osipov. “And it seems to me that the prime reason for this disastrous phenomenon, which has hit the civilized world, is that people are no longer able to have love – to each other, to other nations. However, the Lord Himself commands the sun to rise above the evil and the good and sends rain to the righteous and unrighteous.”

According to him, what is happening now appeals to the conscience and minds of modern people.

“Recall about the sense of life, recall about the existence of the Lord, recall about eternity. And then answer the question – don’t we need to give up on that way of life, shameful, if to put it directly – that we see now everywhere in the civilized world? We would have to give up on it and at least to repent a little, to think it over. A person, who does not perceive himself as a sinner, will never have his prayers answered. But if we think about it and repent at least a little, maybe, God will attend us. He will approach humanity and fulfill what many people are longing for and looking forward – to defeating this sinister coronavirus,” the professor explained.

As reported by the UOJ, Alexei Osipov believes that Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople can solve the problem in Orthodoxy, which arose due to his intervention in Ukraine, with one action.

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