Abbess Seraphima: We can’t close temples, we're inseparable with our flock
The UOC cannot close churches, it has close ties with its believers who need to go to church, explains the abbess of the Holy Archangel Michael Convent.
On April 14, 2020, the head of the Synodal Department of the UOC "Church and Culture", the abbess of the Odessa Holy Archangel Michael Convent, hegumeness Seraphima (Shevchik) explained on "Dumskaya TV" that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will not close churches, services in churches will be held according to the church statute, but in compliance with the sanitary standards recommended in connection with the coronavirus.
“The service in the temples will be as it should be according to the church statute. And I want to emphasize that our temples do not close. But we really urge our parishioners to firmly observe the necessary norms and rules,” said the abbess.
She emphasized that all the services of the UOC in the Odessa Eparchy are broadcast online, however, many believers still come to churches: “Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail performs services on all Great Feasts and anyone, any parishioner, can view it all online. But here is an observation: we have one parishioner, a very elderly woman, she is over ninety. It’s the hardest to keep such people, because she says: "I have lived my life. How can you not let me in?! You violate my rights!"
Commenting on the question of journalists why the UOC does not close churches, as Pope Francis did, Abbess Seraphim said it is difficult to explain the closure of churches to Odessa residents when there are about 60 cases of coronavirus infection in the city. “We are dealing with the human factor,” she explained.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church will not close churches, says Abbess Seraphima: "We will not do this, we cannot, because we are inseparable with our flock."
She emphasized that priests, like doctors, “are in the first highest risk group, but doctors treat the body, they do not treat the soul, they do not know how to do it. Everyone's soul is now in a state of very contradictory emotions, horror, fear, and panic – all this now overwhelms people. The temple for them is really a place of joy, prayer and tranquility. Therefore, we still meet with people,” she concluded.
As reported earlier, the Primate of the UOC blessed all eparchies to participate in the fight against the pandemic.
