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The archbishop spoke at a press conference about how the coronavirus pandemic affected the church. He said he could tell the exact figures about the Vilnius archdiocese, how the coronavirus was crossed for this diocese.
“We had 20 sick priests. Some of them are serious and two of them have died forever, ”said the archbishop at a remote press conference.
After a press conference, he clarified that both priests died of coronavirus and that their tests for Covid-19 were positive.
One priest was a truly respectable age: he was over 90 years old and the other was over 60 years old.
He intended to open the doors of churches to the faithful, but changed his mind
We remind you that on Tuesday, the Lithuanian bishops announced that Mass would be celebrated in the churches again starting Monday, January 11. The bishops’ decision to resume services was soon criticized: the public, politicians and health professionals were outraged.
On Wednesday, both the public and the government encouraged the bishops to change their minds. However, given the situation in the country, it was decided not to resume the mass.
“Given the current situation, today we have decided not to resume public services in churches with the participation of the faithful,” the archbishop said at a remote press conference.
The prime minister asked to change his mind
At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, the country’s Prime Minister, Ingrida Šimonytė, encouraged the Lithuanian Episcopal Conference to change its mind about the Mass.
“It seems to me that we should first of all thank the Lithuanian Episcopal Conference for the fact that the services were not public and now they are not. After the government tightened the quarantine, the Lithuanian Episcopal Conference decided not to organize services. I believe That this decision was very local and very timely, we saw it as a sign of solidarity with the secular government.
As we still do not have a good knowledge of how the situation has improved, I would expect a review of this decision, an extension of the period, to make it more similar to the period applied by the Government. The secular government does not refer to the ecclesiastical as secular ecclesial, but solidarity between the two governments, so to speak, in circumstances such as the present, is of the utmost importance. As the renovation has not yet been carried out, I hope that this decision will be reconsidered, ”I. Šimonytė told reporters on Wednesday.
Public services were suspended in the country by decision of the Lithuanian Episcopal Conference in mid-December.
According to the Department of Statistics, the day before, 2717 new cases of coronavirus infection were confirmed, 27 people died.
On Wednesday, the Episcopal Conference of Lithuania distributed a letter to the faithful:
Dear believers,
In these difficult times, we receive the Christmas holidays differently than usual. To protect the health and lives of others, we have abandoned the regular gathering for solemn services. Thank you all for your understanding, patience and responsible attitude.
At the end of the year, we hoped that there would be an opportunity to return to the order that was in place in our churches during the quarantine until December 16 of last year, when a limited number of people attended services in accordance with the necessary safety requirements. . So, at the end of the year, we decided to restore this order after the end of Christmas, starting on January 11. However, the beginning of the new year showed that the pandemic situation in Lithuania is still quite dire. The stricter restrictions adopted by the government, initially limited to the holiday period, have been extended until the planned end of the quarantine.
So, given the current situation, today we decided not to resume public worship in churches with the participation of the faithful. That is, starting in 2020. December 16 we are expanding the order in our churches until 2021. January 31, with the possibility of mitigating it earlier if more pronounced positive developments occur. In this way, we stand in solidarity with all those for whom this time is extremely difficult, especially with patients, doctors, nurses.
We understand how important pastoral help is to all of us. We remind you that churches remain open to the private prayer of believers. Funerary St. Mass or other sacraments are celebrated only in the immediate vicinity of family members. In agreement with the priest, it is possible to make a confession, receive Holy Communion.
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Revelation of Christ (Magi). It tells us of God revealing himself to the people of all nations, of His light reaching even those who are far away, in deep darkness. Today’s celebration also draws our attention to the Magi who respond to God’s revelation and come to meet them in humble prayer. No difficulty can separate us from God. Let our prayers lead to a living testimony of faith, showing more solidarity and compassion for others in our daily lives. Because where there is repentance and love, there is God.
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