Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) on how Orthodox Christians should respond to today’s challenges.

Of course, the main thing now – to avoid it. And we did in the first quarantine and we are doing everything now so that people have access to holy sites.

Today, when many are at a loss, and someone, perhaps, on the verge of despair, it would be extremely inhuman to take away from people the opportunity to pray in the temple.

The church complies with all sanitary requirements to keep churches open. And this is quite obvious: if shops remain open, moreover, temples should not be closed. If there is an opportunity for people to get food, all the more they cannot be deprived of spiritual bread – sometimes the only consolation.

But still I would like to note that even with closed temples, the Lord will remain with us. I remember the following situation: at one time there was a specific danger that the Lavra would be taken away from us, and I asked His Beatitude Onuphry (then still the locum tenens) how we should be in such a situation, he said that if they were to be taken away, and showed behind the fence, we will pray with you behind the fence.

The Church is not in the stones, but in the people. One righteous human is enough for the Lord to preserve the Church. And right now, in the hour of new trials, each of us needs to become such a righteous human.

Recorded by Natalia Goroshkova