Looks like no one is safe.
Cleric falls ill after performing funeral for Serbian church leader
Mourners kissed the coffin of the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church on SundayImage caption: Mourners kissed the coffin of the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church on Sunday
For a number of days, we've been reporting on several religious leaders in the south-eastern Europe falling ill with Covid-19.
Following the
funeral of the head of Serbian Orthodox church Patriarch Irinej on Sunday, the cleric who led the service has now contracted the disease. Bishop David of Krusevac is in hospital in Belgrade, state media reports.
Hundreds of mourners at Patriarch Irinej's funeral did not wear face masks and many kissed his coffin. He himself was thought to have become infected at the funeral of the most senior cleric in Montenegro who also died with coronavirus.
Church authorities in the region have struggled to respond to the pandemic. Last week, a funeral was held in Greece for a senior cleric who insisted on maintaining communion ceremonies, including offering a shared spoon to congregations, claiming there was no risk of infection.
