A moleben prayer service for deliverance from the coronavirus epidemic was recently held at the Church of St. Nicholas in Moscow, which serves as the Patriarchal representation of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church.
“Archpriest Igor Zuev, the rector of the dependency served a moleben for deliverance from the coronavirus pneumonia epidemic that has engulfed Russia’s ally, China,” Orthodox activist Kirill Frolov told Interfax on Tuesday.
More than 60 Chinese people living in Moscow, both baptized and catechumens, prayed at the moleben, including diplomats, entrepreneurs, and students.
The outbreak of pneumonia in the Chinese city of Wuhan began in mid-December 2019, originating from the previously unknown coronavirus. According to the latest data, more than 4,500 people have been infected with it in China, and more than 100 people have died. In addition, cases have been reported in countries such as Thailand, Australia, Singapore, Japan, the United States, Malaysia, Germany, and France.
The Church of St. Nicholas has served as the Chinese representation church since 2011. Its many activities include a weekly Liturgy celebrated in the Chinese language, weekly classes on the basics of the Orthodox faith in the Chinese language, summer trips to restore destroyed churches, language training and missionary practice abroad, the translation of documentaries on Christianity, the translation and publication of Orthodox literature, and much more.