The service of Christ’s burial in the Holy Metropolis of Corfu
At the Metropolitan Church of the Most Holy Theotokos of Spilaiotissi, on the morning of Holy Friday, April 30, 2021, His Eminence the Bishop of Corfu, Paxos and the Diapontian Islands, Mr. Nektarios, did the service of Christ’s burial.
Addressing the faithful, Mr. Nektarios was inspired by the evangelical word “Jesus is silent”. Christ’s silence, especially towards Pilate, did not mean contempt, but it is a control over the conformity that cowardly people and little ones show towards evil. Christ’s silence is essentially ruthless, because he has much more control over the Roman commander for his attitude. Jesus’ silence against Caiaphas is a response to human malice and pettiness. But he also remained silent in the face of the demands of the crusaders to miraculously prove that he is God. And silence shows that the truth is hurt by many words.
He was silent and is still silent today, in the face of the persecutions of the Church. He is silent in front of the legal gimmicks of all those who deprive us of the freedom of worship. He is silent in the face of the injustice done to man in His image, in the face of exploitation, power, wars and rapture, in the face of human tragedies.
He is also silent towards the Christians who behave as if there is no God and we share and hurt each other. He is silent in the face of the superficial worship and faith we show before Him. He is silent about what is happening in our country, about the restriction of the freedom of Christians, about the restrictions on the procession of epitaphs.
“Lord, you are silent and you are silent, towards humanity, because we seem not to have met you. “There are human weaknesses, our mistakes, but You strengthen us from the scaffold of the Cross, because you are a benevolent and perfect God, you do not coexist with the smallness of people, so that we can pray and praise you”, concluded his thoughts the Bishop of Corfu.
