From
His Eminence, the Metropolitan Bishop of Edessa, Joel:
Due to the latest
events after the pause of the divine services, caused by the novel virus, we
would like to humbly state the position of our Holy Church on whether any
diseases can be spread through the Holy Sacraments, or through her sanctifying
means, the veneration of the Holy Icons, the kissing of the hands of the
priests, or even by simply staying in the sacred temples.
1. Concerning the
Sacrament of Holy Communion. It is commonly accepted from the universal Church
that it is impossible that the Body and Blood of Christ can transmit any
disease. This is how our Church teaches, and it is proven by experience;
there are priests that served in hospitals of infectious diseases for decades,
highly transmittable and incurable at their times, yet they never got sick. For
this reason, it was a huge mistake by a certain priest of our diocese to
commune the faithful with disposable spoons.
2. Concerning the
kissing of the priests’ hands and staying in the Church. The timing of the
conversation on these topics is very fortuitous.
a. On the second
Sunday of the Great Lent we celebrated the memory of St. Gregory Palamas who
greatly preached by word and deed the possibility of participating in the
uncreated divine energies. Conversely, those of us who abstained from
participating in the Sunday worship have practically preached the heresy of
Barlaam who denied the human participation in the divine, uncreated energies.
b. No doubt, the
priest is a human being, weak, fallen, and struggling to purify his inner
being. Yet, the priest, “clothed with the grace of the priesthood” participates
and radiates the uncreated, divine energies through his priestly office,
regardless of his personal sanctification. Obviously, if the priest is a holy
man, then he transmits double the grace. Nevertheless, it is important to
reiterate that when we kiss the hands of the priests, we participate in the
uncreated, divine energies of God, and we receive the Divine Grace according to
the measure of our faith and piety.
c. As St. Paisios of
the Holy Mountain (†1994) used to say, who always kissed with great piety the
hands of the officiating priest after the Divine Liturgy, “the priest’s hands
are not his own.”
d. If we believe
that the priest can transmit diseases then we deny the grace of the holy
priesthood, ultimately denying the grace of God. When with our actions we
doubt or deny the uncreated divine energies, then we manufacture another god,
and we refuse the true God.
e. The same holds
true about the holy temples. The temple is the body of our living God. And
this is not just symbolic. In our Church, the figures and symbols enclose a fundamental
quality, the Truth, and this is why we observe these symbols. And the truth is
that the holy temple as the Body of Christ cannot be a place where diseases can
be transmitted. Should we doubt this, then we doubt that there is grace within
them. We equate the Temple with an ordinary gathering hall.
3. All this sad
conversation ends with a serious question and a sad observation.
a. The question is: Do
we really believe in God? And if so, which God? In a Barlaamitic god
manufactured by our own reasoning? In a god that we attribute as much grace as
our poor brain can fit?
b. The bitter
realization is that we inadvertently blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. We hold
a heretical mindset, even while we declare our Orthodox faith. By doubting the
Holy Spirit, we commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and we are in danger
of losing the forgiveness both in this present age and in the eternal age to
come.
c. When we are
afraid to kiss the holy icons, to kiss the hand of the priest, to stay within
the holy Church, then by our actions we deny the salvific and sanctifying grace
of the Holy Spirit. We consider that the Holy Spirit is capable of
transmitting “uncleanness or impurity” and this constitutes a great blasphemy.
4. Therefore, let us
confess with our actions, as we do with our lips, that we believe that in the
holy icons, in the priests, and in the holy temples reside the Divine grace.
a. Our
participation in this grace depends to the measure of our faith. The amount of
grace we receive, is directly related to the amount of faith we have.
b. However, the
existence of this grace does not depend on our faith. God, “who is, and who
was, and who is to come” (Rev. 1:8) does not cease to exist if we do not
believe in Him.
c. Accordingly, we
accept the pressure of the civil law to stop the divine services as a divine
chastisement for we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done
wickedly, and have rebelled, by departing from the precepts and judgments of
our Lord (Dan 9:5 KJV).
d. Yet, we do not
accept the justification of the State that there is a danger of
transmitting disease through the Holy Church of Christ, and by the divine
sacraments that take place in her...
5. In short, it is
impossible to get infected or acquire any disease from Holy Communion, the holy
icons, kissing of the hands of the priests, or by our presence in the sacred
temples. If we so believe with all our hearts, we shall receive abundantly the
grace of our God in our lives. If we deny or doubt this, we suffer the heresy
of Barlaam and the iconoclasts; we deny God, and we commit a blasphemy against
the Holy Spirit.
Hence, let us stand
rightly! Let us believe correctly and with simplicity, and the Grace of the
Divine Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit shall always be with us.
Amen
On
this same note:
--
Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England,
South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð,
unworthy though we are!
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