Over the past week, the press has been eager to discuss whether the Georgian Church is doing the right thing by refusing to close the gates of churches to parishioners on Easter night, and although the holiday is over, it is still unclear how this has affected the infection statistics.

The coronavirus takes several days to manifest itself. Moreover, as doctors and government officials made it clear, the tightening or easing of the state of emergency will depend on the growth rate of infected people ("resonancy", 13.04.). Of all the churches in the world, only the Georgian Orthodox Church refused to hold an Easter prayer service without the participation of the congregation.

Religious holiday and political everyday life

There is no shortage of believers in Georgia, but not everyone unconditionally believes in miracles. Especially in the fact that they are performed on a whim, order or wish. The accumulation of people under one dome, in principle, contradicts the regulations. In addition, experts warned that along with the possibility of infection, there was a risk of questioning the authority of the Church. Perhaps for this reason, parishioners were encouraged to stay at home not only by epidemiologists, but also by representatives of the higher clergy. Metropolitan Isaiah said that it is difficult to say that those who received Holy communion will be spared the coronavirus ("resonancy", 17.04.).

However, in the same issue, Bishop IOB called what was happening the machinations of Freemasons and an attempt to establish control over humanity. Expressing readiness to enter the infected person without a mask and gloves and communicate with them, the journalist Lali Moroshkina called the coronavirus a complete idiocy ("Asaval-Dasavali", 13-26. 04.). And sociologist Koba Kuprashvili saw it as a global Scam and bluff, claiming that the average death rate in the world has not increased. This opinion is disputed, referring to the American scientist Anthony Fauci, "Quiris palette" (13-26. 04.)-the mortality rate from COVID-19, according to the researcher, is 10 times higher than from seasonal flu.

Opinions of different publications are diametrically opposed. "Georgia and the world "(15-28.04.) enthusiastically stated that the position of the Georgian Church should be considered as a unique chance for the growth of the country's international authority! "Ahali Taoba" (17.04.) tried to cool the Patriotic fervor of the newspaper by reminding us that pride is one of the most dangerous Christian sins.

Sputnik-georgia.ru