Coronavirus: Bishop plays down muddle over funeral of deceased patient

Limassol Bishop Athanasios on Wednesday attributed a mix-up over the funeral of a coronavirus-infected deceased person to a misunderstanding by a local priest.

The issue arose after a priest at a village in his district refused to carry out the service for a fellow resident, citing what he said was a decree banning funerals inside the church for those who have died with Covid-19.

The priest further claimed that only two chapels in Limassol will carry out such funerals, saying: “We cannot put the dead inside the churches as afterwards we will need to disinfect the area.”

The health ministry refuted the claims and spokeswoman Margarita Kyriacou told Phileleftheros that no decree ever mentioned such restrictions, neither back in March nor those currently in force.

The elderly man’s funeral was finally carried out by Archimandrite Kyprianos Apseros in Agros after having been asked to do so by the family, the paper added.

Asked about the media report by CyBC TV on Wednesday, Bishop Athanasios confirmed the issue had arisen, but sought to play it down, saying that it was indeed the case of an individual priest misunderstanding the current measures.

When pressed on the issue however, he confirmed that only a few churches in Limassol are conducting funerals for those with Covid-19.

He conceded that such a policy is not linked to government measures but is due to the ease with which the churches can be disinfected.

Athanasios was also asked whether he intends to be vaccinated, to which he replied: “I’ve not even thought about it.”

The Cyprus Mail contacted a funeral home which confirmed that services within churches have been taking place with the only notable difference being that the coffins remain closed.

“The procedure is completely safe as the coffin is sealed and disinfected, this has been the case since March,” an employee said.

“Now, whether an individual priest has some anxieties about carrying out the service – that’s another issue but funerals in churches have been ongoing.”

Some social media users said it was ironic that the church appears to be imposing strict measures in one area while seemingly flouting other restrictions – with some firebrand bishops openly calling on the faithful to flout the measures.

Under current decrees, a maximum of 10 people, excluding the priests, are allowed to attend a funeral.

The same restriction applies for weddings and christenings.