WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd June, 2020) A major cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) in New York City - the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign - continues services on its usual schedule despite ongoing protests and rioting over George Floyd's death and COVID-19 related limitations, ROCOR Synod of Bishops Chancellor Serafim Gan told Sputnik on Tuesday.
"Despite the riots and ongoing quarantine, the cathedral priests continue the full circle of daily services behind the closed doors and with limited number of believers," father Serafim said.
Protests began in New York and other cities last week after African American man George Floyd died in Minneapolis, Minnesota in police custody. Video captured a white police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as the latter screamed out that he could not breathe. On Monday, the county medical examiner ruled Floyd's death a homicide.
However, the protests soon turned into riots complete with violence, arson and looting.
The Synod of ROCOR did not discuss ongoing protests yet, father Serafim said. Expressing his personal position, he noted that the Orthodox Church is always far from any types of supremacism and worships to saints of any nationality.
"While we, Orthodox believers, are the same sinners as others, we have an ideal of holiness - Jesus Christ, and have to try to follow Him," father Serafim said. "When problems arising in society, it is necessary to hear the injured party, to understand the pain of these people. Such approach will lead to the serious discussion."
The priest said by responding with evil to another evil, we can only multiply it.
"If we will react to all problems as Christ did - calmly witness truth and peacefully rebuke lies, we will be able to stop evil, earn confidence, reach dialogue and some changes," he said.
Father Serafim warned that violent reaction on evil leads society to self-destruction, and the younger generations will not see a good example of solving conflicts from our side. He urged people to pray for George Floyd and his family, about softening of hearts and spreading of Christ's peace among people.
US authorities have intensified the crackdown on protests in recent days. On Monday, police shot tear gas and fired weapons to scatter demonstrators near the White House. Nicole Roussell, a Sputnik journalist, said police shot off a stinger grenade which left three painful welts on her hip and thigh. This came just a day after RIA Novosti correspondent Mikhail Turgiyev was pepper-sprayed in the face by a Minneapolis police officer.
