Police about Odessa Eparchy’s work under quarantine: We will support you
Even if a state of emergency is introduced because of the coronavirus, volunteers of the Odessa diocese will be issued special passes.
On March 26, 2020, with the blessing of the Metropolitan Agafangel (Savvin) of Odessa and Izmail, members of the working group of the Odessa Eparchy of the UOC on countering the spread of coronavirus met with the leadership of the National Police of Ukraine in the Odessa region. The results of this meeting were reported to a UOJ correspondent.
"The police told us: ‘We will support you. If a state of emergency is introduced, we are ready to issue passes for all your social groups of volunteers, so that they can provide low-income, large families, pensioners with food,” said a source in the eparchy.
According to him, the members of the working group also told the leadership of the National Police about the prevention of coronavirus, which is already being conducted by monasteries and churches of the eparchy. Representatives of the Odessa Eparchy also shared their ideas on how to organize liturgical life during Palm Sunday and Easter.
"We were warned that by order of the National Police, there will be working preventive dialogue patrols near each temple on Sunday and Saturday, which will conduct explanatory work with the population. If anyone violates the quarantine requirements, administrative protocols will be made. In the case of gross violations – criminal responsibility," said the spokesman for the eparchy to the UOJ correspondent.
The result of the meeting was an agreement on the cooperation of the Church with law enforcement agencies to jointly help the people of Ukraine to preserve health and life, as well as to overcome the difficulties caused by the coronavirus.
The meeting of representatives of the eparchy with the leadership of the National Police of Ukraine in the Odessa region is the first result of the work of the working group created in connection with coronavirus quarantine.
