The government will be deciding on Tuesday – three days before Christmas – on whether to ease coronavirus-related restrictions on churches by allowing people to attend services again.
The reopening of churches to congregations, sought by Archbishop Chrysostomos, was the subject of a meeting between the church leader and President Nicos Anastasiades on Monday evening.
No comments were made to the media afterward. But citing sources, the Cyprus News Agency said the president told the top cleric he could not respond to his request until he heard back from the health minister.
The health minister will be briefing the cabinet on this matter on Tuesday. The same sources said that Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou will be consulting the Covid-19 team of advisors, who would assess whether the epidemiological situation allows for relaxing the rules on churches specifically.
But going on prior remarks by one of the scientists on the advisory team, the latter are unlikely to give the nod to the resumption of congregations at this time.
Last week the Holy Synod addressed a letter to Anastasiades asking him to revoke a ban on congregations from attending services, and pledging they’d ensure all health protocols would be strictly adhered to should a limited number of people be allowed back inside the places of worship.
On December 9, and amid a spike in Covid-19 cases, the government further tightened up the restrictions, temporarily shutting down churches, malls, cinemas and restaurants until the end of the month.
Since then, congregations at church services have been altogether prohibited, with the exception of weddings, funerals and christenings where a 10-person limit applies.
On Sunday December 13, days after the more severe decree came into force, police charged and fined 12 worshippers and two priests for attending services in three parishes.
All three churches in question were under the Morphou diocese.
Morphou Bishop Neophytos said that “the church has had its own sacred tradition and its own laws and sacred rules for two thousand years to ensure and maintain the psychosomatic health of the faithful.” He called on people to attend services as usual.
By contrast, Archbishop Chrystsotomos has taken a more conciliatory and diplomatic stance. While asking the government to reconsider the latest rules, he has also called on all clerics and the faithful to observe the measures until further notice.
In passing the decree on December 9, the government had promised to reassess the tighter measures on churches ahead of Christmas.
The church itself has come in for a fair deal of criticism from a section of the public, as photos and videos shared on social media have shown little to no social distancing of mask wearing being observed during services.
