“Everyone says that the doctors are in the front line. But why do you forget that we, the clerics, are also in the front line, together with our parishioners?! And stop saying that they don’t need this. They do need this!” priest Iulian Rață stated, commenting on the authorities’ request to churches to suspend the public services in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the talk show “Black box” on TV8 channel, the priest admitted that he cannot hold a service online. “Can you imagine a Christian sitting in front of the TV set and genuflecting and praying? I cannot,” stated Iulian Rață.
He insists that the fear of catching the virus during religious ceremonies is a matter of faith. “There is the flesh and blood of God. If someone considers there is bread and wine, they should stay at home,” noted the priest.
Iulian Rață is sure that the churches should not be closed now. “When the media make so much fuss about the coronavirus pandemic and the people are overwhelmed by stress and loneliness and lack quietness and hope that things can improve, you strip them of access to the Church and will kill them this way,” he stated.
As to the infection with COVID-19 of parishioners who travelled to the Pochaev Monastery in Ukraine, the priest said the reports about the causes of infection are misleading. “The association of Christian journalists said the participants in that trip didn’t even reach the monastery. The administration of Ternopol region carried out an inspection at the monastery where, by the way, there is an emergency medical assistance unit as there are hundreds of monks and pilgrims there, and established that no units of transport were there in the recent past and no case of infection happened there,” said Iulian Rață.
Many believe yet that the unwillingness of the clergy to comply with authorities’ recommendations is unfounded. “This is not the case when the church can be considered the most persecuted institution. No one oppresses it. Most of the churches in different countries suspended work in order to ensure public health,” said civic activist Rodion Gavriloi.
According to him, the clergy could have followed the example of Romania where churches are opened during the day, but are closed during services that are held by a narrow group of priests.
The National Exceptional Commission for Public Health on March 13 adopted a decision saying the churches should stop work on a temporary basis.
