Bulgarian medics in appeal to celebrate Orthodox Easter at home
The Bulgarian Military Medical Academy team, in the front line of the fight against Covid-19, has posted an appeal for people to celebrate the forthcoming Eastern Orthodox Christian Easter at home.
In a post on Facebook, the medical professionals held up signs reading: “God is in our hearts! We should meet the resurrection at home!” and adding an appeal for people to show solidarity.
The post was tagged with “#ОстанеСиВкъщи” and “#ВсичкоЩеБъдеНаред” – translated, respectively, as “stay at home” and “everything will be all right”.
In the Bulgarian Orthodox Church calendar, the 2020 Easter weekend is from April 17 to 20. The church is keeping its houses of worship open, while saying that it will hold its services out of doors instead of inside, and saying that it is implementing disinfection measures.
Palm Sunday, this past week, saw clergy at some churches continuing to serve communion with shared spoons.
Prime Minister Boiko Borissov, operational HQ chief Major-General Ventsislav Mutafchiyski and some church leaders have appealed to people to celebrate Easter at home instead of going to church. The government has declined to order the closure of churches as a measure against the spread of new coronavirus.
At the western Easter this past Sunday, Bulgaria’s Roman Catholic minority celebrated via services streamed online. Bulgaria’s Jewish community has closed the synagogues in Sofia and Plovdiv, while continuing communal religious activities online, and the Chief Mufti, spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Muslims, has suspended Friday prayer services at mosques.
(Photos via the Facebook page of the Military Medical Academy)
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