ATHENS – All church services exept the Sunday morning liturgy (7:00 am-8:00 am) will be suspended, the Standing Holy Synod of the Church of Greece decided on Monday, in the latest of measures to contain the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus.

Following suggestions from political leaders and infectious disease spokesman Sotiris Tsiodras, who briefed the Holy Synod on Monday afternoon, the church’s administrative body said it would officiate in holy sacraments for the immediate family only, if these cannot be postponed. Funerals and memorial services will be conducted for the immediate family alone, while the memorial services would only be carried out at the grave.

The Holy Synod also called on the aged and people who have long-standing health issues to remain home in order to avoid contact with others.

It added that monasteries will hold their scheduled liturgies without visitors present.
The church “adopts all measures taken the Greek state to manage the spread of the virus, and will do the same for anything else proposed in relation to the development of the virus in the immediate future,” it said.