Pope Francis celebrated Easter Mass before a handful of the faithful sitting one per pew in St. Peter's Basilica as Christians around the world marked the most joyful day in the liturgical calendar amid sorrowful reminders of the coronavirus pandemic.
At the Vatican, Francis processed into a largely empty St. Peter’s Basilica for Mass, celebrated before a handful of token faithful sitting one per pew and with the choir’s “Kyrie” hymn echoing off the bare marble floors.
Francis instead celebrated Mass inside the basilica, decorated with only a few potted palms and white hydrangeas. Rather than appearing on the basilica loggia to impart his blessing, Francis was to speak in front of the tomb of St. Peter, underscoring the solitude confronting all of humanity amid lockdown orders and quarantines to prevent further contagion.
At Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified and entombed, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa urged the faithful to not be discouraged.“Despite the sign of death and fear that we are seeing everywhere all over the world, we have to look at the good all those that are giving their lives for the others,” he said.
The Church of England shuttered its churches, prompting the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to celebrate Easter Sunday service from his kitchen in London. The spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, Welby delivered his sermon in full robes behind a makeshift altar on his dining room table.
“This time has proved to be a reflective time enabling us to refocus or revision ourselves and how we live,” the letter said. The church would normally be packed with people marking Easter, including the president, prime minister and parliament speaker.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
Pope celebrates joy of Easter amid sorrow of virus, aloneCatholics around the world are marking a solitary Easter, forced to celebrate the most joyful day in the Christian calendar largely alone amid the sorrowful reminders of the devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic
Lire la suite »
From the Pope to Mariah Carey, here are some options for your Easter service livestreamPope Francis will be live-streaming his Easter Sunday Mass service on YouTube and Joel Osteen's Houston megachurch will have singer Mariah Carey and filmmaker Tyler Perry.
Lire la suite »
'Be messengers of life in a time of death,' pope says on Easter evePope Francis urged people to 'not yield to fear' and focused on a 'message of hope' as he led an Easter eve Mass in an empty St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic and called for an end to wars.
Lire la suite »
Virus mutes Easter celebrations as US deaths top 20,000At the climax of Holy Week for the planet's two billion-plus Christians, congregations were shuttered at home to avoid spreading Covid-19. Some US priests and pastors risked arrest by announcing they would hold public services in their churches.
Lire la suite »
Easter Will Look Different This Year, but It's Important to Our Family to Celebrate AnywayThis year, our family won't be celebrating Easter like we usually do, because churches and restaurants are closed down and our city's shelter in place order
Lire la suite »
How Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Are Spending Easter This YearKate Middleton, Prince William and other members of the royal family won't join Queen Elizabeth for Easter church services this year due to coronavirus
Lire la suite »