Russian Orthodox and Muslims pray with Pope Francis for the end of the pandemic
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov (of Islamic profession) and the Mufti Rushan Abbasov, first vice-president of the Islamic Council of Russia among the most enthusiastic supporters of the Day of Prayer and Fasting launched by the High Committee of Human Fraternity and supported by the Pope. Support also from many Orthodox priests, Protestant Christians and Jews. The death of priests and monks continues in the Orthodox Church. An "anti-virus" cross.
Moscow (AsiaNews) - The "Day of prayer to free us from the coronavirus" supported by Pope Francis and the High Committee of Human Fraternity yesterday, was also widely supported also in Russia. Many Orthodox priests declared their adhesion with the Pope and the Catholics, specifying that the litanies and the moleben to ask for an end to the pandemic are already widely practiced by the Russian Church.
The president of the Russian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov (of Islamic profession) was among the most enthusiastic about the papal initiative: "I am convinced that on this day people from different continents and representatives of various religions turn to the Most High. We ask the Creator to help us overcome the pandemic and the crisis it has caused. Only by uniting and overcoming the divisions that make us suffer, can we hope that the Most High will have mercy on us. "
Even Mufti Rushan Abbasov, first vice-president of the Islamic Council of Russia, recalled that “we are in the blessed month of Ramadan, which even more fills the lives of Muslims with prayers. Muslims from Russia have already organized collective prayers with Muslims from other countries several times; we wholeheartedly support these initiatives, such as the appeal to common prayer proposed by the Pope of Rome, Francis ".
In the Orthodox Church many supported the initiative, as stated by the priest Aleksej Dikarev: "This proposal unites people of good will, who try to do whatever they can to overcome this crisis. The whole Russian Orthodox Church with its pastors and faithful pray for a speedy overcoming of this crisis, in particular by repeating the Akatistos to the Mother of God ". Russian Protestants, and Chief Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar, also expressed their solidarity with the Pope's initiative.
In particular, the Russian Church prays remembering the many losses of these days, due to the coronavirus. On 13 May, a 46-year-old priest, the protoierej Vasilij Aleksandrov Andrej Kuraev, who served in the Trinity church in the village of Oktjabrskij, in the province of Moscow, also known as moderator of the blog of the proto-saxon, died. Vasily left his wife Matushka Julija with five children.
The protoierej Aleksandr Gridunov, from the Volgodonsk eparchy near Rostov, the protoierej Aleksij Penkov (photo 2), 52, of the Church of the life-giving Trinity in Konkovo, on the outskirts of Moscow, and the hieromonk Petr (Gribov) of the eparchy of Shuj, 55 years old.
In the monastery of the Life-giving Cross of Shuj, all 12 monks were infected with the virus. The monastery is located in a place that is difficult to access and even going to the hospital is rather problematic, and Father Petr died in his cell without being able to receive treatment.
In the monastery of Verkhoturja on the Urals, the number of people infected has reached 50; all 15 monks of the monastery of San Pafnuzio in the province of Kaluga were also found positive for coronavirus. In a parish of the Kurgan eparchy, that of the Nativity of Chastoozerje, the parish priest Fr. Aleksandr Shumilov thought of organizing a "processional race" of the faithful with the icon of Saint George the Winner, in honor of the Victory celebrated in these days and for the liberation from the enemy virus. Together with the banners of the saints, the parishioners waved the red flags with the hammer sickle (photo 3).
A Protestant bishop, Nikolai Mitrofanov, one of the main representatives of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians (Russian Pentecostals), also died from the virus in the city of Yaroslavl on the Volga River. His confreres, Bishop Sergei Ryakhovsky and Bishop Andrej Dirienko gave the news, recalling that "There is no greater love than one who gives his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13).
The deputies of the State Duma, the Russian parliament, have decided to apply a special badge with a cross to be worn on their jacket (photo 4). The speaker of the Duma, Vjačeslav Volodin, explained that it is a sign that "removes the coronavirus". Even Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, had been wearing the white cross on his jacket for a few days, before being hospitalized for the virus.
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