Cyprus Mail 17 December 2020 - by Jonathan Shkurko
The government decision to keep churches closed over the Christmas period is “provocative and irresponsible”, according to the president of the University of Nicosia’s theology department Christos Economou.
Government spokesman Kyriakos Koushos on Wednesday turned down pleas to reopen churches and shopping malls but said the cabinet would reassess the situation when it meets next week.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Thursday, Economou said that President Nicos Anastasiades’ refusal to accommodate “reasonable requests made by the Church of Cyprus are fully unsubstantiated, particularly over Christmas, which represents one of the most important periods in the Christian Orthodox calendar”.
He also called on Archbishop Chrysostomos to remind the government that the church is an autonomous institution and that the state should respect its decisions.
“The archbishop of Athens and the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece imposed their decisions on the Greek government by conveying the feelings of thousands of believers. We should do the same and not let our church be humiliated,” Economou said.
His statements were also reinforced by the president of the union of Greek theologians Giorgos Kyriacou, who also slammed the decision of closing churches over Christmas and urged the government to disclose “the real number of people who contracted the virus inside churches, where measures are applied rigorously.”
In response, the health ministry defended the current measures in place, saying the government is only following the recommendations given by epidemiologists.
“Everyone should understand the seriousness of the situation,” a health ministry spokesperson told CNA. “The virus is still among us and is claiming human lives.
“That is why we have to respect the measures and the decisions taken by the epidemiologists, as they are only in place to protect our health.”
The role of the epidemiologists was also defended by Petros Karayiannis, professor of microbiology/molecular virology at the University of Nicosia Medical School.
“Epidemiologists analyse significant scientific data obtained from concrete data and studies and suggest measures accordingly,” he said.
“We are constantly updating measures in response to what we observe concerning the virus each day.
“Philosophising on the measures is pointless as every decision we take is based on scientific data, like in the rest of the world. We don’t suggest measures on our own accord,” he concluded.
