RPT - Russian Church Abroad To Discuss Approach To Future As Clergy Leave Quarantine - Priest

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th May, 2020) The Russian Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) will start a broad discussion on approaches to possible crises like COVID-19 in the future once clergy begin to emerge from quarantine, ROCOR Synod of Bishops Chancellor Serafim Gan told Sputnik.

"Extreme situations always provide very valuable and interesting pastoral experiences, which enriches the Church," father Serafim said on Friday. "When our arch-priests and pastors around the world will begin to emerge from quarantine and share on how they found the ways to solve different problems during this time, I am sure, we will see a very serious and interesting discussion."

The protopriest, who leads the Russian parish in a New York City suburb, expressed confidence that this discussion will allow the church to find the right approach to such a crisis in the future.

Father Serafim shared his own experience how he participated several days ago in a very rare aerial cross procession over New York City along with the Kursk Root icon of the Mother of God - the main relic of the Russian diaspora abroad.

"It was result of many requests on behalf of the faithful and the parishes of the New York Metropolitan area," he said. "I received a blessing to approach one of our parishioners in Seacliff, New York, about the possibility of having this aerial procession above the city."

Several people, including Gan, Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, one protodeacon and a pilot - a parishioner of the Russian church - flew over New York Metropolitan area on a small plane.

"I have heard there were special aerial processions with the Kursk icon in Russia, but this is the first time it was done specifically as a procession outside of Russia," father Serafim said. "Of course, the icon constantly travels all over the world and even has a reputation of a very worldly miraculous icon, which visits all the corners of the earth, and especially the Russian diaspora."

The procession became confirmation of the presence of the Mother of God and Her prayers for people during this healthcare crisis, the priest added.

"We all thought that it was our duty to fulfill the requests of our many parishioners, because, as you can understand, it was a request to pray over the city," he said.

As of Friday afternoon, New York remains the most affected city by the pandemic with almost 202,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, the Johns Hopkins University real-time tracker revealed.