Religion and alcohol

The reaction of representatives of the Bektashi (or Bektashi) sect in Turkey is being provoked by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s plan to establish within his country’s territory a sovereign Muslim Bektashi Muslim state on the model of the Vatican.

The Bektashi sect (Bektaşi) of dervishes belongs to Sufi Islam and represents an important chapter in the history of Islam in the Middle East, Asia Minor, and the Balkans during the Ottoman period. It is a blend of Muslim faith, Christian Orthodox monasticism, and Masonic mysticism. The followers of this sect are monogamous, eat pork, and drink alcohol.

One by one, the children and adults line up for the centuries-old ritual of Holy Communion, trying to keep a proper social distance. The priest dips a spoon into the chalice of bread and wine, which the faithful believe is the body and blood of Christ, and puts it into the mouth of the first person in line.

The authorities of the monastic community of Mount Athos in northern Greece said in a statement on Wednesday that they recognize the necessity of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus but also noted, however, that the sacrament of Holy Communion "is absolutely necessary for the spiritual life" of worshippers.

Amid controversy over the Church of Greece's stance on the coronavirus, Archbishop Ieronymos on Friday urged worshippers to display "a spirit of responsibility," saying their faith would not be in doubt if they didn't go to church.

Sparking controversy, the ruling body of the Orthodox Church of Greece issued a statement on Monday saying that the coronavirus cannot be transmitted through holy communion as the "faithful of all ages know that even in the midst of a pandemic, it is both a practical affirmation of self-surrender to the Living God and a potent manifestation of love."