Vatican City (AP) – The most beautiful Christian holidays around the world were celebrated as believers spread out in their seats and on the second Sunday of Easter, Hallelujah choirs sang face shields as a precaution.
From the massive Roman Catholic cathedrals to the Protestant churches, devotees have followed the rules associated with the coronavirus. In some European countries, citizens lined up to receive COVID-19 at Easter.
In the Lombardy region of Italy, where the epidemic first appeared in the west, the hospital presented a traditional Easter cake in the form of a pigeon, symbolizing peace for all who are waiting for vaccination. Many of those who came were in their eighties.
A football team in Lyon, France, opened its stadium as a vaccination center For a long weekend. Approximately 9,000 people are expected to receive the vaccine there in three days as the French government tries to speed up vaccination during a new outbreak.
In the Holy Land, travel restrictions and quarantine regulations prevented foreign pilgrims from flowing to religious sites in Jerusalem during the Great Week, which culminated in the celebration of Easter. Pope Francis regretted that the pandemic prevented some church visitors from attending services.
In St. Peter’s Basilica, about 200 believers who were allowed to visit seemed missing in the cave cathedral. Thousands will usually be at the Mass celebrated by Francis, and sometimes more than 100,000 will gather outside St. Peter’s Square to receive the blessing of Easter.
But this year, as in 2020, it allowed the crowd to gather in Italy and the Vatican. Francis gave his Easter afternoon talk on world affairs Using basil, take the opportunity to call again that vaccines are reaching the poorest countries.
The Pope seemed tired of noting that epidemiological measures have influenced religious holiday traditions and alienated some believers from public worship.
Francis said, “We ask that these restrictions be lifted, in addition to all the restrictions imposed on freedom of worship and religion throughout the world, and that everyone pray and praise freely.”
In Syria, where the national vaccination program has not yet begun, the pioneers of Our Lady of Damascus have called for a way out of an economic and political crisis exacerbated by an epidemic.
Basam Assafs said, “We came to church at Easter to get rid of the epidemic we are in.” Of course, we are not afraid of the coronavirus. It is the truth we face, but it does not stop us from coming and asking God to help us in this test and help the world. “
A senior Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land prayed at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem. This is where many Christians believe that Jesus was crucified, buried, and risen from the dead. Israel’s successful vaccination campaign has allowed the resumption of many sites, including religious sites.
The epidemic prevented the Seville Muslim Brotherhood from sending a luxurious Easter buoy carrying a standing statue of Jesus through the streets of a Spanish city. Instead, the Brotherhood posted old videos and photos from its last move two years ago.
Some South African Pentecostal Christians have canceled the three-day retreat that begins on Good Friday. On a hillside overlooking Soweto, the city of Johannesburg, the Pentecostal apostles gathered in small groups on Sundays to celebrate Easter.
In South Korea, Yoido’s full Gospel Church, the largest Protestant church in the country, allowed Easter Mass to be attended by only about 2,000 people, or about 17% of the main building’s capacity. Mask worshipers sang hymns and prayers as the service aired on the Internet and Christian TV channels.
Committed to curbing week-long outbreaks, the Italian government has ordered people to stay home for three days over the weekend, except for essential tasks. The government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi has allowed one family or friend to visit the indigenous areas during the weekend, which includes Monday’s public holiday.
In the event of a pandemic, Italy allows religious services if capacity is limited and masks are used. However, from the beginning, many Roman Catholic state churches were open only to individual prayers.
Hundreds of Catholics gathered at the giant St. At Paul’s Cathedral in St. Paul, Minnesota, to attend Easter Mass on Saturday night. All other seats remained empty and masks were mandatory. Nevertheless, the festive Mass marked a new and hopeful beginning for the church after a turbulent year.
After last year’s virtual Easter Mass, St. St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on Sunday Mass was half full when worshipers settled in a vaulted neo-Gothic style with more than 2,000 seats. The choir sang through masks.
For the first time in more than a year, the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit opened personal Easter services with power constraints and social exclusion rules. Honorable Charles Christian Adams told the Detroit free press that people need a church, especially after congregants have lost at least 14 members to COVID-19.
Tony Carpio said her physical presence at St. Vincent de Paul’s Church in Austin, Texas, meant a lot to her after the services were provided online last year alone. She said being in a church helps maintain Filipino culture in her city because some prayers are given in her Tagalog home.
She said, “By being in the church, you become more serious and can focus on God.”
In Florida, the Eastgate Christian Fellowship hosted the annual beach sunrise service at Panama City Beach. The church had to cancel the service last year because all the beaches were closed. Reverend Janelle Green estimated that about 400 people took part.
Robin Fox of Palm Bay planned to spend the day traveling with his mother to Orlando to receive a second dose of the vaccine at the FEMA surveillance site.
The fox said, “She gains this freedom the same day (people) who go to church to celebrate Christ’s resurrection, so I said to her,” It’s like you are getting up. ”
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Associated press reporters from around the world contributed.
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