The Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece on Wednesday, after a marathon same-day session, announced that services for Easter Week will be conducted in closed cathedrals and chapels around the eastern Mediterranean country, the result of strict precautions to prevent exposure to the Covid-19 virus. The decision means only a priest or a small number of clerics will be in attendance, without the presence of worshippers.
The Orthodox Church’s Easter Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on April 12 and culminates with Easter Sunday on April 19, a week after Easter is celebrated by Catholic and Protestant churches.
Additionally, the influential Church of Greece said the Easter Saturday resurrection service will be publicly celebrated on the evening of May 26 into the early morning hours of May 27, which on the liturgical calendar is the “Apodosis of Pascha”, or “Leave-taking of Easter”.
The decision is unprecedented for the predominately Christian Orthodox country of 11 million, where Easter is the most prominent religious and national holiday.
