Christmas services in Russia will be held in any epidemiological situation

Regardless of what the situation will be in connection with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the festive services on the eve and on the day of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ in churches and monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church will be held at the appointed time. This was stated by Vakhtang Kipshidze, Deputy Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and Mass Media. “The Church will meet Christmas in any epidemiological situation,” he said, commenting on the information about the possible closure of churches at Christmas.

Earlier, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reminds, in his Telegram channel Vakhtang Kipshidze wrote: “Christmas is not a museum exhibit that will not be shown if the museum is closed - it will take place and will be received properly”.
Vladimir Legoyda, chairman of the Synodal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate for Church Relations with Society and the Media, also said that until an emergency regime was introduced, churches could not be closed to believers. The Church, she believes, has taken 'unprecedented security measures' in accordance with the rules adopted in the spring, the observance of which in churches, monasteries and other houses of prayer The Russian Orthodox Church was blessed by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.