World

Coronavirus: Orthodox churches stand empty over Easter

Congregations tuned in for TV or online services on the most important holy day in the Orthodox calendar

The National

April 19, 2020

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Orthodox priests held Easter services in empty churches on Saturday as parishioners watched on TV or live-streamed the sermons online. Dressed in the ornate robes that mark Orthodoxy’s most important holy day, priests in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kyiv preached to congregations under lockdown in their homes to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Over Easter weekend, followers of Eastern Orthodoxy, who observe the Gregorian calendar, would usually be holding feasts, visiting relatives and attending church to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. But coronavirus lockdowns have prevented many faiths from practising cherished religious traditions, including the world's   300 million Orthodox Christians.

Across Ukraine, police were deployed outside hundreds of churches to ensure that people standing outside services observed social distancing regulations, which ban gathering in large groups.

A small exception was made at the Pechersk monastery in Kyiv, where police allowed worshipers to enter the church one at a time, with the next person going inside when another left. About 100 people stood outside the monastery waiting to be let in.

The church’s leader drew criticism after suggesting that worshipers could gather outside while services were conducted rather than staying at home.

  • A girl decorates eggs on Holy Saturday, as Christians worldwide following the Western Gregorian calendar mark the Easter holiday weekend, in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. AFP
    A girl decorates eggs on Holy Saturday, as Christians worldwide following the Western Gregorian calendar mark the Easter holiday weekend, in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. AFP
  • People pray during an Easter mass led by Bishop Krikor Kousa at the Armenian Catholic Church as Egypt ramps up efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Cairo, Egypt. REUTERS
    People pray during an Easter mass led by Bishop Krikor Kousa at the Armenian Catholic Church as Egypt ramps up efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Cairo, Egypt. REUTERS
  • Easter mass at the Armenian Catholic Church as Egypt ramps up efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Cairo, Egypt. REUTERS
    Easter mass at the Armenian Catholic Church as Egypt ramps up efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Cairo, Egypt. REUTERS
  • A Christian worshipper prays in front of the closed door of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre before the start of the Easter Sunday service amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Jerusalem's Old City. All cultural sites in the Holy Land are shuttered, regardless of their religious affiliation, as authorities seek to forestall the spread of the deadly respiratory disease. Christians will be prevented from congregating for the Easter service, whether this coming Sunday -- as in the case of Bitar and fellow Catholics -- or a week later on April 19 in the case of the Orthodox. AFP
    A Christian worshipper prays in front of the closed door of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre before the start of the Easter Sunday service amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Jerusalem's Old City. All cultural sites in the Holy Land are shuttered, regardless of their religious affiliation, as authorities seek to forestall the spread of the deadly respiratory disease. Christians will be prevented from congregating for the Easter service, whether this coming Sunday -- as in the case of Bitar and fellow Catholics -- or a week later on April 19 in the case of the Orthodox. AFP
  • The Saint Maron Church doors remain closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, as Easter Sunday Mass is held indoors without worshippers and broadcast live, in the Gemmayze district of the Lebanese capital Beirut. AFP
    The Saint Maron Church doors remain closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, as Easter Sunday Mass is held indoors without worshippers and broadcast live, in the Gemmayze district of the Lebanese capital Beirut. AFP
  • A Lebanese woman wearing a protective mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic takes part in Palm Sunday celebrations for Orthodox Christians at a church in the Ashrafiyeh district of the capital Beirut. AFP
    A Lebanese woman wearing a protective mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic takes part in Palm Sunday celebrations for Orthodox Christians at a church in the Ashrafiyeh district of the capital Beirut. AFP
  • Lebanese people, some wearing protective masks amid the COVID-10 pandemic, take pictures of a car procession celebrating Palm sunday for Orthodox Christians, in the Ashrafiyeh negihborhood of the capital Beirut. AFP
    Lebanese people, some wearing protective masks amid the COVID-10 pandemic, take pictures of a car procession celebrating Palm sunday for Orthodox Christians, in the Ashrafiyeh negihborhood of the capital Beirut. AFP
  • A woman prepares palm leave products as Egyptian Coptic Christians celebrate Palm Sunday, at Ghamra district in Cairo, Egypt. EPA
    A woman prepares palm leave products as Egyptian Coptic Christians celebrate Palm Sunday, at Ghamra district in Cairo, Egypt. EPA
  • Bishop Krikor Kousa leads the Easter Sunday Mass behind closed doors as Egypt ramps up efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate and the Church of the Assumption in Cairo, Egypt. REUTERS
    Bishop Krikor Kousa leads the Easter Sunday Mass behind closed doors as Egypt ramps up efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate and the Church of the Assumption in Cairo, Egypt. REUTERS

But in Bulgaria, Christians flocked to the Orthodox temples for outdoor services on a surreal Saturday night with the Balkan state one of the few countries where churches remained open over the Easter holidays amid the coronavirus pandemic.

While most worshippers maintained social distancing between each other to stem transmission of the virus, clergymen largely failed to observe it during the services.

The decision to keep churches open has sparked an intense debate on social media in Bulgaria. Many fear churches could become centres of contagion and pose risks to the most vulnerable – the elderly – jeopardising the collective effort to contain the disease.

In Georgia, some churches were open to those worshipers willing to arrive before the beginning of the country’s 9 pm curfew and remain there until the curfew lifts at 6 am. About 100 people showed up to do that the Holy Trinity Cathedral in the capital Tbilisi, where marks were placed on the floor so that people would observe distancing.

All churches in greater Moscow, St. Petersburg and many Russian regions have been closed since Monday, although some churches in remote regions were expected to have services with parishioners attending.

Russian Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill led the church’s main service at Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral. In an Easter epistle, he called on his flock not to be discouraged by being unable to attend services.

“We Orthodox Christians should not lose heart or despair in these difficult circumstances, let alone panic. We are called upon to preserve the inner world,” he said.

In Cyprus, many Orthodox faithful stood on their balconies or front porches with lighted candles as clergymen officiating midnight Easter Service in empty churches chanted “Christ is Risen.” Cypriots observed Easter services from their televisions at home following a government-imposed ban on worshippers attending church services that’s part of a strict stay-at-home order.

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Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

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VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:

  • Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
  • Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
  • Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
AndhaDhun

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan

Rating: 3.5/5

The five pillars of Islam
SQUADS

Bangladesh (from): Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain, Nayeem Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain, Abu Jayed

Afghanistan (from): Rashid Khan (capt), Ihsanullah Janat, Javid Ahmadi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Afsar Zazai, Shapoor Zadran

EA Sports FC 24
The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

Transgender report
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)

Saturday 

Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)

Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)

Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)

Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldof v  Bayern Munich (6.30pm)

RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)

Sunday

Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)

Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)

 

 

 

 

 

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Rating: 3/5

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UAE Premiership

Results

Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes

Final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, Friday, March 29, 5pm at The Sevens, Dubai

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Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

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Director: Shashank Khaitan

Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana

Stars: 3

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The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass

Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)

Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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What to watch out for:

Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways

The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof

The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history

Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure

Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used

Team Angel Wolf Beach Blast takes place every Wednesday between 4:30pm and 5:30pm

FOOTBALL TEST

Team X 1 Team Y 0

Scorers

Red card

Man of the Match

 

Coronavirus