Coronavirus2020-08-08T07:05:26+02:00

Tips and advice from the diocese
of the Armenian Church in Germany
to the corona pandemic

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DECLARATION OF THE PRIME
ON THE CURRENT CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

To the clergy of the diocese,
to the leaders of the diocesan parishes,
to the members of our church,

With heartfelt blessings for Lent and heartfelt prayer for your health, I, as your diocesan bishop, would like to announce the following:

The unstoppable spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is extremely worrying and affects everyone in our society. Several thousand people in Germany have now been infected with the COVID-19 virus. Unfortunately, there have already been several deaths. Our diocese cannot remain unaffected by these developments. After much deliberation and constant consultation with the mother seat of our church, St. Etchmiadzin, and personally with HH Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, I deem it necessary to take the following measures in relation to our congregational life:


1. Church services:

From Monday, March 16, 2020, all church services and also the Sunday Holy Liturgies (Surp Badarak) will be canceled in all parishes except Cologne and Göppingen. This regulation is valid up to and including April 08, 2020 and can be extended in view of the possible further spread of the virus.

  • In Cologne and Göppingen, church services may take place with the exclusion of believers during the above-mentioned period. In addition to the celebrant, a maximum of 4 deacons or other acolytes (acolytes) may be present in the church. Those present must follow all the precautions recommended by the Ministry of Health during the Holy Liturgy, and of course also afterwards.
  • It is recommended that live broadcasts of the services be carried out both in Cologne and in Göppingen, e.g. B. to ensure via Facebook. Thus, many believers can get the opportunity to follow the holy and divine liturgy and to pray at home.
  • With regard to the services for Holy Week and Easter, the regulations of our diocese will be communicated separately.
  • I ask all families who have arranged baptism dates with the secretariat of the diocese by the end of April, in consultation with our office, to cancel the dates or postpone them to a much later time.
  • All couples who have arranged a wedding date with the diocese immediately after Easter until the end of April are asked to postpone these dates to a much later time, in consultation with our office. Alternatively, the wedding ceremony can only take place in the presence of two witnesses and to the exclusion of the other wedding guests.

If someone has arranged soul ministry for the recently deceased family members at the cemetery during this period, we would like to point out that prayer can and may only take place in the circle of close family members. The commemoration of the deceased and the ministry of the soul can also take place during the Sunday Holy Liturgy in Cologne and Göppingen, without the presence of family members. In this regard, I ask you to contact the secretariat of the diocese in good time.

Our clergy are always pastorally available to our believers. I ask our faithful to contact them by phone without hesitation when needed. They are also willing to do some shopping for the sick and elderly parishioners. Even in this time of crisis, we remain as pastors at the side of our believers and all people in Germany and are connected to them in prayer. The commandment to love one's neighbor is particularly true in these difficult times for all of us.

2. Non-Liturgical Activities:

  • All non-liturgical congregational activities before and immediately after Easter must be cancelled. Regarding the planned commemorative events on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, information will be given separately.

The current situation is very serious. Each one of us bears a great personal responsibility towards society. In view of the current spread of the pandemic, I therefore call on our community members to be aware of their responsibility for their own health and that of their fellow human beings, friends and family members and to follow the instructions and recommendations of the Federal Ministry of Health with increased attention, and in particular the recommended hygiene measures to note.

It is highly recommended and necessary to stay at home as much as possible in the next few weeks and to minimize social contacts completely, true to the motto "I stay at home and work praying". Despite these worrying times and the continued spread of the pandemic, it is still very important to remain calm and prudent and not to panic. It is also important to only trust the official reports from the responsible authorities and not to be manipulated by so-called "fake news".

Before this special challenge, let us be connected in prayer and pray for one another that our Lord Jesus Christ will lead us past the pain of the present moment and give us courage and hope. God says, “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God!" (Isaiah 41:10). With this in mind, let us pray together: “Lord our God, look down from heaven upon all of us, upon all your servants, who are suffering from fear and uncertainty in the face of this current pandemic, who are concerned about the health of themselves and their families encourage and give us all courage and hope so that we remain confident and do not panic so that we can also overcome this pandemic without losses. And you deserve glory, dominion and honor, now and always and forever. Amen."

Always united in prayer
Your Bishop Serovpé Isakhanyan
primate of the diocese

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Current travel warnings from the Federal Foreign Office
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Website of the Robert Koch Institute on the corona virus
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Website of the Federal Ministry of Health
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Federal government website on the corona pandemic
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