Health measures in Serbia include mandatory face mask use indoors and and limits on gatherings, but the rules have not been fully respected. Vaccination passes are required for bars, restaurants and clubs in the evening but not for churches or other indoor venues.
In his Christmas message, Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije singled out medical personnel for their work during the public health crisis and said, “I pray for the sick to get well as soon as possible and for the disease that has attacked the world to pass.”
“The Church therefore calls during the pandemic for the respect of reasonable measures and recommendations of governments and other authorities in the states and regions in which our people live, but also reminds everyone to avoid exclusion and for respect of human freedom as the highest and most valuable God’s gift to men,” Porfirije added.
In Kazakhstan, the sizable Orthodox community could not observe Christmas in churches. All religious services were canceled under a nationwide state of emergency imposed after violent clashes between protesters and police in several cities. About 20% of the people in the predominantly Muslim country identify as Orthodox.
Associated Press writer Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia, contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on APNews.com.
