Ecumenical Patriarch: Abide by precautionary measures imposed by competent authorities for as long as pandemic continues

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, His All Holiness Bartholomew I, has urged all to abide by precautionary measures imposed by competent authorities for as long as the Covid-19 pandemic continues, in a homily read out on Saturday, during an online Christmas event with members of the associations representing the Greek Orthodox faithful of Constantinople and the northeast Aegean islands of Imvros and Tenedos.
In his homily, His All Holiness noted that “…we are shocked by the pain caused and continues to be caused by the coronavirus pandemic. However, we were impressed by the self-sacrifice of the doctors and nurses who, at the risk of their lives, stand by the patients. It was also revealed that our problems are global and common and that it requires cooperation and solidarity to tackle them. As long as the health crisis continues, we must abide by the precautionary measures imposed by the competent authorities. We also should have faith and hope that sadness and evil will not have the last say in history.”