An effort to ease the tension that has arisen regarding the celebration of the Epiphany the prime minister paid Kyriakos Mitsotakis, during a brief meeting he had with the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Mr. Hieronymos in the midst of the swearing-in ceremony for the new members of the government.
The prime minister expressed his concerns to the archbishop regarding yesterday's decision by the Holy Synod. Call Church to assume its own responsibilities and contribute to the major effort to mitigate its effects pandemic, so that our children can return to school as soon as possible.
He also emphasized the need for everyone to strictly adhere to the measures and health regulations and pointed out that the Church has a duty, as it has done to date, set a positive example and be a partner in the common struggle.
“We are asking for the Church’s cooperation,” said Ms. Peloni.
«We are asking for the Church’s cooperation. We hope that the Church will reconsider its position,’ emphasized the deputy government spokesperson during her interview on Alpha Radio, Aristotelia Peloni, regarding the issue that has arisen following the decision of the Permanent Holy Synod concerning Epiphany services attended by the faithful, despite the government’s contrary decision as part of its COVID-19 measures.
After confirming that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met at the Presidential Palace Speaking with Archbishop Ieronymos on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony for the new members of the government, he added that «Everyone must shoulder their responsibilities, and this applies to the Church as well, which has been affected by and is enduring the consequences of the pandemic, just like the rest of society.’.
Ms. Peloni also pointed out that the government has been in constant consultation with the Church since the beginning of the pandemic and acknowledged that the Church, for its part, has largely demonstrated a highly responsible attitude. He explained that the reason the government decided to return to the previous set of restrictions is based on the need to avoid jeopardizing the epidemiological situation, given the priority placed on reopening schools, and that is why everyone must cooperate toward this goal. Finally, he noted that even in cases of demonstrations, efforts were made to reach a mutual understanding rather than resorting to police intervention.
