The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, asked worshippers in his Sunday address to avoid going to church as the country battles the coronavirus epidemic, Sputnik reported.
"Refrain from going to church," he said after the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.
He referred to Mary of Egypt as a proof that you can save your soul otherwise. The saint is believed to have retired to a desert to live her life as a hermit.
Russia began a nine-day period of voluntary self-isolation on Saturday to limit the spread of COVID-19. Russians will have a paid week off from work until April 5, which could be extended.
