Orthodox churches boomed during pandemic, study finds, but calls growth 'mixed bag'
Alex Karloutso, vicar-general for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, presides over a service at the Formation of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons on August 29, 2021, in Southhampton, New York. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)
Most churches in the United States navigated the patchwork of COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings by periodically closing their doors and broadcasting services online instead.
But for almost half of US Orthodox Christians, whose liturgy involves processions, incense, kissing icons and crosses, and receiving communion from a shared spoon and chalice, liturgical services continued for anyone wanting to attend in person, according to a new study of how the denomination weathered the pandemic.
The new study finds that Orthodox churches overall were reluctant to embrace virtual worship compared to all religious congregations. By spring 2023, 75 percent of all US congregations provided remote options compared to only 53 percent of Orthodox churches.
