Orthodox Catholic Church

By George Gilson

While unfathomable to some, among Orthodox Christians in Greece and elsewhere Dimitra's ambivalence is unsurprising given the mixed messages that came from church clergy.

Today is Bright Friday, the fifth day of the Bright Week, which is dedicated to St. Peter. The Bright Week, which commences on the second day after Easter, celebrates the Holy Apostles and the Holy Virgin, BNR recalls. The bright week ends with the second Easter on Sunday.

As of April 14, COVID-19 had killed 36 people in the former Soviet republic.

But not everyone in the church is falling into line. According to Moldovan media reports, and the Moldovan authorities themselves, church services have been held up and down the country.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday said there would be no relaxation of curfew rules in Serbia over Orthodox Easter this weekend - after the Church asked for the weekend curfew to be lifted on Sunday from 5am to 10am to let believers leave home and attend churches for the liturgy.

From the other end of the line, the voice of Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, as always, conveys serenity and wisdom. Either in person or from a distance, his presence is soothing in any tough situation, but especially now, during the current crisis sparked by the unprecedented global coronavirus pandemic.

On April 16th the Orthodox Church marks Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries.

Maundy Thursday is the Christian feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. The day is preceded by Holy Wednesday and followed by Good Friday.

Faith in the Resurrection helps us not lose hope in the face of adversity, but to ask the crucified and risen Christ for help, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Church (BOR) says in his Easter pastoral letter to the Christian Orthodox believers.

Interior Minister Marcel Vela said on Wednesday that President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Ludovic Orban were informed and acquiesced to the agreement between the Romanian Police and the Romanian Christian Orthodox Church on the distribution of Easter light . "Before I do a thing, as a minister, it is normal for me to notify the prime minister and inform the President as well.

Although the Orthodox church hierarchies in Serbia and Romania have accepted a ban on worshippers gathering for religious services, some of their most prominent figures have been asking governments to make an exception and allow believers to take part in Easter ceremonies.