Russian Orthodox Church hopes to pray away coronavirus

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill has approved the text of a special prayer aimed at protecting believers from the coronavirus.

Starting from March 22, all Russian Orthodox churches have begun saying “fervent prayers for overcoming the disease and giving strength to the doctors fighting it”, says a report on the Moscow Patriarchate website.

The new prayer is written in the Church Slavonic language and uses the word “pestilence” to denote the coronavirus.

The prayer goes as follows: 

O Lord our God, enter not into judgement with Thy servants, and protect us from the pestilence coming onto us. Spare us, Thy humble and unworthy servants, who in repentance, with a warm faith and contrition of the heart, are falling down before Thou, our merciful and beneficent God, and trusting in Thy mercy. Yours is mercy and salvation, our God. Glory to Thou, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Earlier, the Russian Orthodox Church issued a statement urging believers to show restraint, remain clear-headed and calm, but at the same time warned them against “taking the coronavirus outbreak lightly, neglecting medical advice and ignoring preventive measures, thus endangering themselves and others”.

Do you believe in the force of prayer, or do you have more faith in a mask? 

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