Sunday prayers in churches were held after their suspension since last March as part of precautionary measures to tackle Corona

 On May 10th, Syria’s churches reopened their doors to prayers and liturgy today while adhering to all health controls necessary to tackle the Coronavirus.

Prayers and masses are currently performed according to specific health controls that require worshipers to wear masks and adhere to social distancing with sterilizing at the doors of churches in addition to closing the toilets and the absence of patients and children and those showing any symptoms similar to the symptoms of corona and sterilizing the churches before and after the prayer. The sermon should  not exceed ten minutes.

In the Patriarchate of Antioch and the whole East of the Greek Orthodox ‘Marian Cathedral’ in Damascus, the Sunday Mass is presided over by Archimandrite George Jacob.

A number of worshipers in the church expressed their happiness with their participation in Sunday mass after a break since last March.

In St. George’s Patriarchal Syriac Orthodox Cathedral in Damascus, the Sunday Mass was presided over by His Holiness, Patriarch Mar Ignatius Avram II, Patriarch of Antioch and the rest of the Levant, the Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the world.

Patriarch Avram II referred to the good and successful efforts made by the Syrian government to deal with the Corona virus.

In the Cathedral of Our Lady of Aniyah, the Patriarchate of Antioch and the rest of the East to the Melkite Roman Catholics, with the blessing and presence of His Beatitude, Patriarch Youssef Al-Abssi, the Patriarch of Antioch and the whole East of the Roman Melkite Catholics, the Patriarchal Vicar General in Damascus, Archbishop Nicholas Antibes, presided over Sunday Mass, stressing the necessity to adhere to the precautionary measures to prevent Corona and take precautions to avoid infection.

In St. Sarkis Church of the Armenian Orthodox, Archbishop Armash Nalbandian the bishop of the Archdiocese of Damascus and its dependencies for the Armenian Orthodox presided over the Sunday Mass and spoke about the need to adhere to the measures taken by the government to prevent Corona virus.

In Lattakia, liturgies and Sunday masses were held in a number of churches in light of taking all precautionary measures to tackle the Coronavirus, which guarantees the preservation of public health and the safety of worshipers.

At the Church of the Latins, Father Shadi Badr presided the Sunday Mass.

In the Church of Archangels Michael and Gabriel for the Greek Orthodox, Father Elian Khoury Badr presided the Sunday Mass. 

At the St. George Church for the Greek Orthodox, the Metropolitan Athanasius Fahdpresided the Sunday Mass.

In Tartus, the churches reopened their doors to worshipers, taking measures to tackle the Corona virus.

Father Arsanios Al-Lahham, the pastor of the St. Daniel Orthodox Church in Rome, said in a press statement that the churches opened their doors to receive believers who are praying with fully adhering to the standards of personal safety through the spacing between individuals, wearing masks, and sterilizing churches and individuals to preserve the safety of all.

In Aleppo, prayers and masses were held in various churches, amid the commitment of the worshipers to the precautions and health conditions.

In the Cathedral of the Prophet Elias for the Greek Orthodox, Archimandrite Musa Al-Khasi, the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo, stated that the prayers were held amid precautionary measures.

Head of the Armenian Protestant community in Syria Priest Harutyun Selimian stated that there is a feeling of joy in the return of the churches and opening its doors for worshipers to hold prayers and masses while adhering to health and social conditions.

In Daraa, the pastor of the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation of the Greek Orthodox and Priest of Daraa, Father Grace Rizk stated that the worshipers committed themselves to the necessary measures to address the Corona virus by putting masks and using gloves and sterilization means while a youth team volunteered to put sterilizers at the hands of worshipers before entering.

In Homs, Bishop of the Catholic Syrians in Homs, Hama, Tartous and its dependenciesBoutros Al-Naama, presided the Sunday Massin the Church of the Virgin Mary in the Bustan Al-Diwan neighborhood.

Bishop Boutros Al-Naama, said: “We pray today for peace to prevail in Syria.”

In Sweida, the priest of St. George’s Church in Suwayda, Nicola Waqqas  said that prayers were raised on the intention of security, safety and peace in our dear homeland and salvation from epidemics and diseases.

In the Church of Jesus the King of the Capuchin Fathers, the pastor of the Church, Father Fadi Ziada, said that the doors of the places of worship were opened to worshipers in implementation of the decisions of the government and the bishops in Syria with taking all the precautionary measures recommended.

And the prayer in the churches was raised for the security of Syria, the safety of its people and its army, and its stability, and with the intention of recovering all those infected from Coronavirus.

O. al-Mohammad / I. Abdulkareem