- Title: Russian Orthodox church takes measures to stop spread of coronavirus
- Date: 23rd March 2020
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MARCH 23, 2020) (REUTERS) WOMAN WIPING ICON IN CHURCH MAN KNEELING DOWN IN FRONT OF ICON, CROSSING HIMSELF,KISSING ICON, WALKING TO OTHER ICON, KISSING IT CANDLES WOMAN WIPING ICON PEOPLE IN CHURCH MAN KISSING ICON CANDLES (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SENIOR PRIEST AT VYSOKO-PETROVSKY MONASTERY, FATHER KONSTANTIN, SAYING: "We are doing allwe can to keep people in peace and to protect them from infection during praying in church. We would rather people abstain from kissing the icons. We are disinfecting the icons in church, and we have removed those icons which were placed on analogions (stands)." WOMAN WIPING ICON (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SENIOR PRIEST AT VYSOKO-PETROVSKY MONASTERY, FATHER KONSTANTIN, SAYING: "We are doing everything to avoid this virus' spread through unction or communion. We do not use one spoon, we use such spoons that can be thrown away after each person." CHURCH ROOF (SOUNDBITE) (Russian)SENIOR PRIEST AT VYSOKO-PETROVSKY MONASTERY, FATHER KONSTANTIN, SAYING: "If we closed ourchurches, our Orthodox people could start panicking, as people want to pray, if they saw that all the churches are closed, they would feel really bad. So the churches are open." VARIOUS OF PRIEST CONDUCTING CHURCH SERVICE WOMAN WIPING ICON VARIOUS OF MAN CROSSING HIMSELF VARIOUS OF WOMAN WIPING ICONS WOMEN PRAYING VARIOUS OF CHURCH PROCESSION OUTSIDE CHURCH CHURCH BUILDING VARIOUS OF PROCESSION
- Embargoed: 6th April 2020 21:28
- Keywords: Orthodox church Russia church coronavirus monastery sanitary measures virus
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C69Y1BT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Icons in church, usually scenting of fragrance now emit a new smell - sanitizer.
It is done so that people who kiss them do not get infected.
Russian Orthodox churches take precautions to limit the spread of coronavirus. The taken measures also include using disposable spoons for Eucharist and regular disinfection of the churches.
Kissing icons and relics is a common practice in Orthodox Christianity and is believed to have a healing effect.
Vysoko-Petrovsky monastery senior priest, father Kostantin, told Reuters TV church does not close its doors even in difficult times to prevent panic.
Russia has so far recorded 438 cases of the virus on Monday (March 23), as well as one coronavirus-related death.
The authorities have barred foreign nationals from entering the country until May to stop the coronavirus from spreading further, and have cancelled or heavily restricted public gatherings.
(Production: Anton Derbenev, Mikhail Antonov) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
