Serbian patriarch buried with few virus measures in place

Belgrade, November 22

Thousands of individuals on Sunday attended the funeral of Serbian Patriarch Irinej, who died after contracting the coronavirus, many ignoring preventive measures in opposition to the pandemic.

Many mourners and most monks holding the funeral service within the large St Sava Temple within the Serbian capital, Belgrade, didn’t put on masks or adhere to social distancing contained in the church, kissing the glass protect protecting Irinej’s stays and even utilizing a single spoon throughout Holy Communion.

Irinej, 90, died on Friday, three weeks after attending the funeral of one other cleric in neighbouring Montenegro wherein mourners kissed his stays mendacity in an open casket though he additionally died from COVID-19 issues.

The Serbian Orthodox Church has requested mourners to maintain their distance and put on face masks according to the anti-virus suggestions however even monks contained in the temple had been with out masks.

Serbian epidemiologists have stated there was no approach they may ban the normal funeral prayers.

After reporting hundreds of each day new instances of infections within the nation of seven million folks, authorities have warned that the well being system has been overburdened with hospitals working out of beds.

Patriarch Irinej wielded appreciable political affect within the Balkan nation. The patriarch was identified for his criticism of Western insurance policies within the Balkans and shut ties he developed with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Serbia’s high management attended the funeral, together with President Aleksandar Vucic, who spoke about Irinej’s legacy and praised his efforts to finish the development of the St Sava Temple, the largest Orthodox church within the Balkans.

“I’m ready to say, if it wasn’t for Irinej, it would have taken several more decades to complete this temple,” Vucic stated.

Irinej was later buried within the crypt contained in the temple. AP