Metropolitan Tikhon and members of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America, as well as individual members of the Holy Synod of the Church, have been in almost constant communication with each other regarding a myriad of critical and pressing issues presented to our Church and stemming from the current pandemic unleashed on our society by the presence among us of the Novel SARS-CoV-2. While many of these issues present novel and unprecedented theological and liturgical challenges, many of these issues have also implicated constitutional, legal, administrative and financial questions which are virtually unprecedented in the history of the Orthodox Church in America.
Certain aspects of the current crisis are, however, woefully apparent even at this point in time.
We are informed that litigation – none of which currently involves the Orthodox Church in America – has already erupted in a variety of civil jurisdictions which have at their core issues of compliance with those governmental directives which have already been issued by civil authorities at the national, state, and local levels. We can certainly anticipate that legal proceedings of this nature will only multiply in the coming weeks and months. Preliminary indications are that civil claims of this nature will not be covered by existing insurance contracts to which our Church and its affiliated entities are parties.
We are informed that litigation – none of which currently involves the Orthodox Church in America – has already erupted in a variety of civil jurisdictions which have at their core issues of compliance with those governmental directives which have already been issued by civil authorities at the national, state, and local levels. We can certainly anticipate that legal proceedings of this nature will only multiply in the coming weeks and months. Preliminary indications are that civil claims of this nature will not be covered by existing insurance contracts to which our Church and its affiliated entities are parties.
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