Victoria’s Health Minister Jenny Mikakos sent a letter to Archbishop Makarios prior to the Archbishop’s communique on Monday night which told congregations that it is acceptable to take the sacrament of Holy Communion despite the coronavirus pandemic. “I responsibly assure every faithful person that up until now in the history of our Church there have…

His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia has released an updated Encyclical regarding Covid-19. Read the full text below: Your Graces, beloved fathers and beloved children, With pain of soul, but at the same time, with a sense of pastoral responsibility on a sensitive matter which concerns public health, I communicate to you that, due to…

Please remain in the safety of your homes, strictly follow directions by the World Health Organization and your local public health authorities in order to reduce exposure to the coronavirus. Keep safe distances, avoid congregating in public, wash your hands regularly and don’t touch your face – and, above all, stay calm.

The Holy Metropolis of Korea called on the faithful to raise their voice in prayer each evening from 10 to 10.15 p.m. As we’ve repeatedly stressed over the past week, in these difficult hours, where humanity faces the threat of a pandemic, we call upon the people of God to rally, spiritually, through common prayer,…

In the Middle East, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, with the blessing of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Most Godly Beatitude Theophilos III, donated 65,000 euros to Jordan’s health ministry, in order to aid efforts in that country to prevent a Covid-19 outbreak.     Halfway around the world, the Holy Metropolis of Korea called on…

As first reported on Thursday, the St. Catherine Sacred Monastery of the God-Trodden Mt. Sinai announced that it will close to pilgrims and visitors until March 31. Back in southeast Europe, the Archbishop of Craiova, His Eminence Irineos, conveyed a message of hope and optimism to the Metropolis’ faithful, in the face of the Covid-19…

The world’s Orthodox Churches, hierarchs, clerics and elders remain particularly active in global efforts to provide encouragement, hope and comfort to the faithful, and all humanity, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, while at the same time repeatedly stressing the necessity of following guidelines and directives to reduce exposure to the virus. Monks and nuns in…

On Friday, March 20 at noon, the Holy Synod will hold a meeting to discuss issues related to the COVID-19 outbreak. On Thursday, on the website of the Patriarchate of Georgia, a statement was published, urging the Georgian society to wait for the official announcements from the Holy Synod. “Because of the coronavirus epidemic, in…

In the 3rd Century, a pandemic swept across Italy, Africa, and the Western Roman Empire. In retrospective examination, some scholars believe it was the Ebola virus. At its height, this pandemic killed more than 5,000 people every day in Rome. Some cities had their population wiped out by more than 60 percent. During the pandemic,…