by Br. Alexis Bugnolo

Drawing from its rich liturgical history and the teaching of its Saints, the Bishops of the Greek Orthodox Church in Greece have refused calls to suspend liturgical functions. The official statement rebuts the claim that the faithful can contract Corona Virus while receiving the Most Holy Communion in the Greek Rites.

In the liturgy of St. John Chyrsostum and St. Basil, Holy Communion is administered thus: the consecrated Host, a leavened loaf cut into the form of a cube (see featured image at top of page), is then cut into smaller cubes and placed in a Chalice full of Chrisr’s Most Precious Blood, and distributed cube by cube to the faithful, with spoon to an open mouth. The ancient practice avoids all contact of the hands of the priest with the mouth of the communicant. And after each communion, the Priest must put the spoon back into the Chalice of the Blood, where the accident of the alcohol sterilizes the spoon.

Instead, the Greek Church has called on all the clergy and faithful to offer prayers for the exterminate of the pest and end of the crisis.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops of Slovakia — a nation with only 1 confirmed case of Corona virus, have decided to suspend all public functions in the country for two weeks.

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