One-touch digital candle lighting and online confession, like an electronic "chat room" for two; And yet, the question of the presence of the Church in the digital avenues of communication is……..
very serious and not related to similar private websites, appearing on the dark side of the internet.
What is certain is that the Greek Orthodox Church and the diverse activity it develops, they are "inside" the intangible digital universe of the Internet. indeed, the development of the digital online intervention of parishes led the Permanent Holy Synod of the Church of Greece to issue, principles of 2015, circular related to the "Operation of websites on behalf of church bodies and on behalf of clergy and monks".
The circular demonstrates the wide spread of the Internet within the Church and in no way highlights a prohibitive and technophobic rationale, but intrusive, trying to set a framework for the use of the Internet by parishes and believers. This was deemed necessary, as private websites had appeared “with imitations of human piety, that exceeded the limits of ridiculousness", in which, for example, the user could light a candle online!
Although it was no secret, the encyclical confirms the presence of clergy and even monks with personal pages on online social networking media, like for example facebook. BIS does not object to this use, defending "man's freedom of choice and speech".
But an attempt is being made to enter a framework here as well: "monks are not allowed to express themselves in a way that leads them to alienate their ascetic promise and to involve them in worldly concerns".
Next to the institutional presence of the Church on the Internet, a nebula of private websites with commercial content is also developing. Those who have monastic products in their digital showcase stand out among them, that is, items that have been created with the passion of the monks.
We are not only talking about types of iconography, religious icons or crosses, for rosaries, but also for foodstuffs, of olive oil and fasting meringue, up to pasta, wine and walnut cream with chestnut.
On similar websites, the interested consumer can also find souvenirs, from mugs and t-shirts to gift boxes and replicas of Mount Athos crosses.
There are websites that are officially linked to holy monasteries (like the one that collects products from all over Mount Athos), but also multiples that try to respond to the wider interests of the faithful in business.
YIANNIS ELAFROS
Source: kathimerini.gr
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Newsroom Mykonos Ticker