Nuns pray as they wait for the start of the Way of the Cross sermon in the metropolitan cathedral closed to the public Credit: Juan Karita/AP
Churches around the world shut their doors to worshippers at Easter as enforced social distancing meant services could not be carried out as normal.
Services were instead brought to the people – either streamed online or broadcast on TV – as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect daily routines.
At Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where the Christian faithful believe Jesus was crucified, entombed and rose from the dead, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa urged believers not to be discouraged.
“The message of Easter is that life, despite all, will prevail,” he said.
A woman rings a bell in remembrance of Santa Vera Cruz on Maundy Thursday after celebrations were cancelled due to the outbreak of coronavirus, in San Vicente de La Sonsierra, northern Spain Credit: Alvaro Barrientos/APA devotee of the Nazareno de San Pablo holds a cross as she watches a statue of Jesus pass by in a Pope mobile during Holy Week celebrations in Caracas, Venezuela Credit: Ariana Cubillos/APVicar Kerstin Gommel celebrates the Maundy Thursday Service in the empty Protestant church St Marien in Suhl, Germany. The church members are present symbolically with their portrait fixed to the pews Credit: Jens Meyer/APA white cloth is draped to silhouette the cross at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church , in Mission, Texas Credit: Delcia Lopez/The Monitor/APPastors wearing face masks while maintaining social distancing attend an Easter service at the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea Credit: Lee Jin-man/APPatty Duffey, wearing a mask, stops at a station at a drive-thru Stations of the Cross at the New Song Church, in Henderson, Nevada Credit: John Locher/APA statue of Jesus Christ is covered with a purple veil as priests attend the Passion of Christ Mass broadcast on a live video stream inside the empty Sao Jose da Lagoa Catholic church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Credit: Silvia Izquierdo/APA woman holds the cross during the Via Crucis – or Way of the Cross – ceremony in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican Credit: Alessandra Tarantino/APPriests wait to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a place where Christians believe Jesus Christ was buried, in Jerusalem’s Old City Credit: Ariel Schalit/APPope Francis presides over the Via Crucis – or Way of the Cross – ceremony in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican Credit: Alessandra Tarantino/APCatholic devotees offer prayers at Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Good Friday in Hyderabad, India Credit: Mahesh Kumar/APPriests prepare to celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St Anthony Parish in San Gabriel, California Credit: Damian Dovarganes/APDon Angelo leads the Way of Cross liturgy at the Ospedale di Circolo in Varese, Italy Credit: Luca Bruno/APPeople gather at the Mount Davidson cross in San Francisco Credit: Jeff Chiu/APDevotees of the Nazareno de San Pablo kneel as a statue of Jesus in a Pope mobile moves past during Holy Week celebrations in Caracas, Venezuela Credit: Ariana Cubillos/APMounted police patrol at La Estrella hilltop, where crosses are located for the annual Way of the Cross reenactment, in the Iztapalapa neighborhood of Mexico City Credit: Marco Ugarte/APSorbs sing in front of a chapel in Gaseritz, eastern Germany. According to tradition, men of the Sorbs dress in black tailcoats and ride on decorated horses, proclaiming, singing and praying the message of Jesus’ resurrection Credit: Jens Meyer/AP
