Greek government suspends all services of religious worship

·

The Greek government has today decided to suspend services in all areas of any religion or dogma until March 30.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the announcement via a post on Twitter that churches will remain open only for individual prayer.

“The protection of public health requires clear decisions,” the Greek Prime Minister wrote.

His decision came minutes after the Holy Synod, the ruling body of Greece’s Orthodox Church, decided to suspend all daily worship services except Sunday Divine Liturgies, which will be held as usual between 7 and 8 o’clock in the morning.

Weddings and baptisms were also suspended by the Holy Synod for the next several weeks.

“If absolutely necessary, they will take place under strict limited number of persons,” the Holy Synod wrote in a statement released Monday afternoon.

“Funerals will take place only in restricted family circles, memorial services to be conducted with a restricted number of people at the grave of the deceased.”

No word yet on whether these decisions will be impacted and changed by the Prime Minister’s suspension of all religious services.

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Latest News

Chasing an Aussie childhood memory all the way to a Suzi Quatro concert in Poland

I've been living in Greece for a long time now and being so far away from Australia, the country I was born and grew up in, sometimes gets to me.

Melbourne musicians to honour Achilles Yiangoulli in special tribute concert

A powerful evening of music and remembrance will take place at TheBrunswick Ballroom in Brunswick, on Thursday.

Greek olive oil in 2026: Hope and concern at the Food Expo

At the Food Expo in Athens, conversations about Greek olive oil in 2026 reflected both optimism and unease.

Fronditha Care honoured with international recognition

Fronditha Care has been celebrated as a finalist at the 14th Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards (2026).

HMSA and PRONIA collaborate on educational event ‘Understanding Back Pain’

This event will help to unpack the causes, when to seek help, pathways for diagnosis and options for the management of back pain.

You May Also Like

Samos on high alert as firefighters battle wildfire

112 residents have been put on high alert and 37 firefighters continue to battle the wildfire which broke out late Thursday evening.

John Rerakis: The Cretan restaurateur who breaks Greek food stereotypes 

They recently treated Kokkinakis to a Cretan feast but this is not the first time John Rerakis' restaurant, Philhellene, makes headlines.

Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanouel Kakavelakis, visits Fronditha Care

The Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanouel Kakavelakis, visited Fronditha Care’s headquarters on Thursday, April 8.