The Church’s episcopal reaction to the 2020 SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) epidemic assumed two basic and related concepts of Church life: the nature of obedience to bishops’ mandates, and the acceptance of penances for spiritual health. The mandates to restrict Church life predicated on subordination to public-civil health authority (Titus 3:1; e.g., lockdowns, social distancing, contact tracing, masking, virtual services, etc.) simultaneously suspended the faithful from normal gathering for Holy Communion and participation in the mysteries (sacraments) of the Church. Must the people of God unconditionally obey the mandates of bishops, especially when these mandates penalize the otherwise faithful for fulfilling the very norms of their calling? The nature of obedience to bishops does not restrict the ability of the Church to practice its essential activities; rather, obedience to bishops should encourage that activity. https://orthodoxreflections.com/obedience-to-bishops-and-imposition-of-penance-during-the-2020-covid-19-pandemic/