Authorities in the neighboring Balkan state have effectively banned the Orthodox Church’s traditional communion of believers with a spoon, Serbian media reported. From 1 December, religious communities in predominantly Orthodox Montenegro will be required to comply with new measures introduced in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, which prohibit any physical contact with “common objects” in the church.
In addition to the ban on celebrating the New Year in the open air, weddings, concerts, mass events, the new epidemiological measures provide for serious restrictions on the performance of religious rites. “Religious outdoor rituals in the presence of believers should be performed with at least 4 square meters per person provided. Observance of the measures related to the proper wearing of masks and observance of a distance of two meters is mandatory. “Touching or any physical contact with objects of common use is prohibited,” the Montenegrin Ministry of Health said in a statement.
Religious communities are obliged to appoint one or more persons to control whether the believers in the temple wear protective masks and observe the minimum physical distance.
“At the entrance and exit of religious sites to provide means for hand disinfection and to monitor the maximum possible number of people who can be present at the religious site at the same time in compliance with the requirement to wear a mask and a physical distance of at least two meters “, Said in a statement. In addition, religious communities are obliged, if possible, to broadcast religious services on radio or television in order to enable believers to follow them without being physically present in “religious sites”.
Source: Srbin.info
