Anglican Eucharistic theology

The Orthodox world is in the days of Holy Week, during which Christians relive the last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. The liturgical program of today's Maundy Thursday is saturated with a number of events related to the redemptive work of the Savior for humanity.

Today, Holy Thursday, the Orthodox Church commemorates a number of events in the last days of Jesus Christ related to his saving work for humanity.

Manolis Dermitzakis, professor of genetics at the University of Geneva, said on Thursday he was "shocked" by the crowding he saw in the streets and the images of some faithful receiving Communion from the same spoon on Wednesday, when the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Epiphany.

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece rebuffed a call issued this week by the Istanbul-based Patriarch Vartholomaios for a dialogue between Orthodox churches regarding Holy Communion in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, while also denouncing yoga, which has been recommended by various bodies and groups as a way to relieve stress during the pandemic. 

One by one, the children and adults line up for the centuries-old ritual of Holy Communion, trying to keep a proper social distance. The priest dips a spoon into the chalice of bread and wine, which the faithful believe is the body and blood of Christ, and puts it into the mouth of the first person in line.

Churches throughout Greece opened their doors to the faithful after two months Sunday, but limited the number of congregants and dispensed disinfectant outside. Communion, however, was given using the same spoon.

The authorities of the monastic community of Mount Athos in northern Greece said in a statement on Wednesday that they recognize the necessity of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus but also noted, however, that the sacrament of Holy Communion "is absolutely necessary for the spiritual life" of worshippers.

A priest at a Greek Orthodox church in Nea Kios in the northern Peloponnese conducts the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper late on Wednesday night. The service was broadcast live online as it was conducted without a congregation, following the closure of all places of worship by the government on March 20 as part of efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Amid controversy over the Church of Greece's stance on the coronavirus, Archbishop Ieronymos on Friday urged worshippers to display "a spirit of responsibility," saying their faith would not be in doubt if they didn't go to church.

Sparking controversy, the ruling body of the Orthodox Church of Greece issued a statement on Monday saying that the coronavirus cannot be transmitted through holy communion as the "faithful of all ages know that even in the midst of a pandemic, it is both a practical affirmation of self-surrender to the Living God and a potent manifestation of love."