Orthodox News Top Stories
Source: The New York Times Church leaders have backed government restrictions, but defiance by hard-liners and a commitment to the sacrament of communion, taken with a shared spoon, may undercut good intentions. By Niki Kitsantonis ATHENS — The coronavirus has dealt a double blow to the powerful Greek Orthodox Church, with the disease spreading through its ranks while the clergy fends off criticism that it has been stoking the pandemic. The church’s leader, Archbishop Ieronymos, declared from the outset of the pandemic in the spring that he was committed to supporting the conservative government’s public health campaign to halt the spread…