Orthodox Church to observe ‘cyber fast’

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church will observe ‘cyber fast’ on Good Friday this year.

Good Friday commemorates the final hours in the life of Jesus, his crucifixion and death, and comes as the culmination of observance of 50 days of Lent when practising Christians spend days in prayers, shun non-vegetarian food, and give up symbols of luxuries and excesses as a mark of penance, repentance, and self-denial.

“This year onwards, we plan to incorporate symbols of new luxuries and addictions, especially cyber addiction, that have been influencing the young generation,” P.C. Elias, public relations officer of the Church, said.

Good Friday falls on April 3 this year.

As part of the initiative, the Church has exhorted the flock to disconnect themselves from television, computer, Internet, mobile phone, and social media such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and LinkedIn on Good Friday. “This is part of the initiative to liberate those who are overdependent on modern media tools. This will help them unshackle themselves from the negative impact of social media and have balanced media literacy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan Baselius Mar Thoma Paulose II, head of the Orthodox Church, warned against excessive love of money and pleasure-seeking.

Inaugurating Nervazhi, a project being implemented by the human resource department of the Church here on Wednesday, he said excessive cyber dependency was a clear mark of this new lifestyle, which had led to various social ailments.