Eastern Orthodox Church

The Greek government relented and allowed limited attendance at churches celebrating the feast of the Epiphany Wednesday, reversing a ban on attendance designed to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The Orthodox Church celebrates, on Wednesday, the Baptism of the Lord or the Epiphany, and the liturgical events occasioned by this celebration will take place this year in compliance with the sanitary rules.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged the country's influential Orthodox Church on Tuesday to respect coronavirus restrictions during Epiphany celebrations on Jan. 6 after Synod leaders said they would defy the lockdown.

It is "inconceivaable" for the Greek Orthodox Church to be demanding an exemption from the nationwide lockdown to celebrate the feast of the Epiphany on January 6, opposition Movement for Change (KINAL) said in a statement on Monday.

Communion in prayer, kindness of the heart and cooperation in good deeds can work wonders, turning fear into courage and hope, Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church said as he delivered the New Year's blessing service, the Akathist of our Lord Jesus Christ, at the Patriarchal Cathedral.

The head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church made a public address to the people for the new 2021.   "With gratitude to God and with new hope for Bulgaria and for the whole world we cross the threshold of 2021.

The Piraeus Prosecutor's office has ordered an inquiry into comments made by Bishop of Kythera Seraphim, claiming that the vaccine against the novel coronavirus contains "products used in abortions."

The inquiry seeks to examine whether the statements were in breach of laws regarding misinformation.

On December 6, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks the Day of Saint Nicholas, the Miracle Worker.

The traditional dish on that day is fish, most often carp.

According to the legend, St. Nicholas was the patron saint of sailors and fishermen, and more recently is considered the patron of bankers and merchants. Nearly 200,000 people in Bulgaria have a name day.

"A new world has been born and we have to deal with it, and this presents an opportunity for the Church," Archbishop Ieronymos said in an important interview with Kathimerini's executive editor, Alexis Papachelas, last Sunday.

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.