To cope with the large influx of faithful, while places of worship are subject to strict rules because of the coronavirus epidemic, in Levallois-Perret, the sports hall was transformed for one evening into a church for the Christmas mass.
REPORTAGE
For the French, due to the coronavirus epidemic, New Year's Eve looks a bit special this year, and in particular for Christians, who, like every year, throng into churches.
But places of worship are subject to strict rules (two seats must remain free between each person or family entity and every other row must remain unoccupied), some churches have had to innovate to cope with the high influx.
In Levallois, in the Paris region, the celebration was organized within the walls of the city's sports center.
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This Thursday evening, the basketball hoop was therefore replaced by a large altar, and on a platform, the floor of the field was covered with a gray carpet.
Father Yassek did everything to help the faithful find their bearings.
"There are candles, the cross. And in the corner, the crib," he describes.
"It's the same one we have in the main church to make the link, precisely, with our church where we usually pray."
The stake, continues the priest, "is to create an atmosphere of meditation, prayer, and I believe that it is successful".
"We will remember"
For their part, the faithful were there.
The stands were almost complete with a tonnage of 750 people.
Coming with her parents, her husband and her children, Marie-Astrid was conquered by this coronavirus version Christmas mass.
"We took a row where the whole family is. There is a distance of more than two meters between the row in front and ours. That reassures me," she said.
"It's very surprising," she said of this unusual celebration.
"In fact, it feels a bit like an American show in the middle of a stadium. We will remember that."