Believers and Priests during COVID-19: Serbian Orthodox Church Liturgical Practices

Serbian Orthodox Church clergy’s reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of 2020 were, if anything, as complex and diverse as the thinking and actions of believers in Serbia (including Kosovo-Metohija). This was particularly visible regarding the need for liturgical practice adaptation and the way of administering communion. In order to untangle complex issue of contradictory and undefined statements, recommendations, and consequential actions taken by priests and believers, lived religion approach was applied to uncover whether liturgical practices were adapted and in what way. Also, we have outlined reasons that could explain the adaptations during a global crisis.