The decision by a monastery in western Macedonia to ban the use of Covid-19 masks for visiting guests when entering the building has caused some controversy.

Despite the fact that the Permanent Holy Synod of the Greek Church recently called on the faithful to follow the instructions of the scientific community and adhere to the rules of the health protocol – including mask-wearing inside, the monastery of Agia Paraskevi in Eordaia, a municipality in the Kozani region in Western Macedonia forbade the faithful to wear a mask inside.

At the entrance of the Monastery, two banners were placed at the entrance reading “Masks are prohibited inside the Agia Paraskevi Monastery” and “Thieves wear masks, Christians do not wear masks”.

The abbot of the Monastery Maximos, in fact, did not oppose, as shown in the relevant video, the non-use of a mask.

“I do not urge people not to put on a mask, only inside the Monastery and for the Monastery, we have every right to act as God tells us. I feel sorry when I see them violating the way of God for the sake of the people”, stressed abbot Maximos.

About a year ago, in the same monastery, a priest interrupted the Divine Liturgy because a 74-year-old woman was wearing a protective mask for the coronavirus.

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