Easter Sunday 2.0, a first in the history of the Church

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Empty churches, Pope Francis alone with no faithful in St. Peter's Basilica for Easter Mass, no “urbi et orbi” blessing on the balcony as tradition dictates: this Easter Sunday confined to a pandemic will remain a first in the history of the Church.

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Easter, a major feast in the liturgical calendar, is a joyous feast for Christians. Easter Sunday traditionally brings the faithful together, that is the day that occasional practitioners choose to come to church.

And this three-day weekend is also an opportunity for all family and friendly reunions. But with the Covid-19, the celebration of Easter rhymes this year with a feeling of isolation, especially among the elderly and also for all with a feeling of anxiety.

In terms of worship, this Sunday's mass will be followed around the world on television and on computer screens, television masses which have also exploded their audience record during Lent.

► Also read: Easter: facing the coronavirus, African faithful at the time of virtual gatherings

Loneliness of the faithful, loneliness of priests too, it is a Passover unprecedented in the history of the Church where in ancient times of epidemic the lot was averted by processions. Today the internet allows you to live your faith online, connected with others. And Passover 2020 will remain in the annals of the Church like Passover 2.0.

► Also read: Easter at the time of the coronavirus: difficult commemoration in Rome and elsewhere

♦ Report : itinerant confessionals in Poland

Easter celebrations in Poland are even more important than Christmas. In this very practical European country, meeting up with your family for the traditional Sunday meal, or for the whole weekend, is strongly discouraged. Although not banned by the authorities. During this Easter period, the Poles also used to go to confession, but since the churches were closed, between masses, priests settled in the car parks of their parish. We can confess to them, while respecting the sanitary safety distances.

From our correspondent in Warsaw, Thomas Giraudeau

A priest, seated on a chair, in the middle of a huge parking lot, and in front of him, a car with a faithful on board confessing through the window. In front of this huge church, it almost feels like a fast food drive.

Natalia, a young woman, is in the queue. " It's surely weird, unusual, but it's great that we have this possibility," she rejoices. It stressed me to go to a traditional confessional in the church, because of the coronavirus. Here we are outdoors. It is truly one of the best solutions. "

It is the turn of Rafal, a father, to confess, in plain sight, but far enough from the other faithful not to be heard.

" I think the distance is enough to be able to confide, " he says. The priests here are creative in the situation we live in today. Confession is fundamental during the Easter period, so it's great to be able to fulfill it anyway. "

" We have a very large parking lot in front of the church, we might as well use it, " laughs Father Bartosz Kuczmarski. " I would say that there is no difference with a traditional confession," he adds. Someone comes to get rid of their sins and God comforts them. But I understand that many people can feel uncomfortable because there they are talking to the priest face-to-face. "

Confessing via the Internet or by phone is prohibited, so the initiative here is successful. Father Kuczmarski has just confessed 50 faithful in four hours.

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