I'm not going to pretend to be more intelligent and informed on the matter than Elder Evthymios, but my position has simply been this: As Orthodox Christians we shouldn't fear illness or death. We should attend the Liturgy and partake of the Eucharist with full confidence and trust, knowing that God has the final say on all matters and nothing will be without it being God's will. With that said, we know that Coronavirus spreads easily and rapidly. It's been documented that people going to church are sometimes becoming ill and passing the illness to others in their communities, sometimes causing not only their own death, but the deaths of innocent people who aren't even Orthodox or any other faith, who wouldn't have made this decision for themselves. God doesn't force himself on anyone, but it's as if we're forcing contamination on people who made the choice not to have anything to do with God. To me it seems better and more loving to keep our neighbors and communities in mind and sacrifice the Liturgy and Eucharist in order to keep others safe and without having to suffer the consequences of our actions and decisions. Let the Holy men of Mount Athos and other such people in other such places keep the Liturgy alive and well in our absence. This is only my opinion.
In the 11th century, the Muslim Caliph Al-Hakim -- the same Caliph who desecrated the Church of the Resurrection/Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the catalyst for Pope Urban II to call for the First Crusade -- decreed the closure of all Churches in Egypt for nine years. It was a time of great distress for all Christians. On one day, the Caliph was walking through the streets where Christians lived, and through their windows he heard voices of praising and praying in each house. Upon which he declared, “Open their churches again and let them pray as they please. I hoped to close a Church in every street. But today I discovered that when I made this decree, a church was opened in every home.” So, even if the church is unavailable, prayer is always available.
