“We Orthodox Christians should not lose heart or despair in these difficult circumstances, let alone panic.' Orthodox priests in much of Europe have held Easter services in churches empty of parishoners because of coronavirus restrictions.
A priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Nazariy, wearing a face mask to protect against coronavirus, blesses family members on the Easter eve near their house in the village of Nove close to capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April, 18, 2020. All the Ukrainian churches have been closed for people because of COVID-19 outbreak, and believers wait for the priest right near their houses.
Police were deployed outside hundreds of churches in Ukraine to ensure that anyone who came to stand outside a service observed regulations calling for social distancing and banning large gatherings. The monastery belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is loyal to to the Russian Orthodox Church and is one of two rival Orthodox denominations denominations in Ukraine. The church’s leader drew criticism after suggesting that worshipers could gather outside while services were conducted rather than staying at home.
All churches in greater Moscow, St. Petersburg and many Russian regions have been closed since Monday, although some churches in remote regions were expected to have services with parishoners attending.
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