Although conservative government officials have blamed the overcrowding at bars and rest restaurants and pointing fingers at churches, the disease has spread through the length of pastors in recent weeks – especially to elderly members who are most susceptible to the virus. .
In Greece, at least one of the church’s bishops has been infected with the virus, including Ionian, a 6-year-old bishop of Lagdas in the north, who died on November 1. But the actual number of infected clerics is not known, as some have not made their illnesses public, church officials said, calling it a “personal issue.”
“Some pastors, including hierarchs, work even though they consider themselves immune,” said George Demkopouus, co-director of the Center for Christian Studies at Fordham University. “We are seeing tragic consequences of this kind of thinking.”
Although Greece was relatively good at dealing with epidemics in the beginning, the second wave has proved difficult to control. As of Friday, there were 113,185 confirmed cases and 2,804 deaths in the country, with most deaths reported in the last month.
Archbishop Ernamoz tested positive for the Covid-19 on November 16, two days after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited amid the country’s latest lockdown to discuss the opening of churches for Christmas. (Mr. Mitsotakis then tested negative).
Other Orthodox churches in Europe have also been hit by the virus.
The head of Serbia’s Orthodox Ox, Archinine, 50, and a supporter of Montenegro, Amphilohije, died in recent weeks. The Archbishop of Albania, Anastasios, a 91-year-old Greek, was brought to a hospital in Athens last month to be treated by Archbishop Ernamoz.
