The Metropolis of Smolensk, in western Russia, has issued an announcement warning of a scam involving the sale of purportedly “blessed” charms and medical masks, ostensibly to protect against the coronavirus. The Metropolis said such claims are fraudulent and blasphemous.
In a related development, the Patriarchate of Moscow on Thursday praised the actions of the Russian government to repatriate Russian citizens that reside in China, due to the epidemic, noting that the Church, on its part, is praying for the recuperation of all those infected.