Coronavirus: Easter holidays without worshipers

Coronavirus pandemic: Thursday April 9, the Pope officiated in a deserted Saint Peter's Basilica, as a prelude to the celebrations of this Easter weekend. Vatican Media / Handout via REUTERS

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For millions of Catholics worldwide the Easter weekend will have a special tone this year as many churches will remain closed to the public due to containment measures. Also in the Vatican, where thousands of the faithful normally converge each year, the celebrations presided over by Pope Francis will take place in an unprecedented way.

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With our correspondent in Rome, Eric Sénanque

On this Good Friday for Catholics, the traditional Way of the Cross of the Colosseum will take place in the evening, on a deserted Saint-Pierre square, completely closed to the public, along the Bernini colonnade. Only a few prisoners and members of the Vatican medical staff will attend the celebration which commemorates the passion of Jesus, people whom Pope Francis wanted to highlight this year. sus, from his death sentence to his crucifixion, death and burial.

The empty St. Peter's Basilica will be the scene of this weekend's Easter celebrations at the Vatican, accentuating even more the excessiveness of the largest church in the world. Saturday evening for the Easter Vigil and Sunday for Easter Day Mass and its traditional urbi et orbi blessing, Pope Francis will only be surrounded by a few people helping him with the liturgy. He will not go up to the loggia, the balcony of the basilica.

Ceremonies that should break audience records with millions of faithful confined. The Vatican has also innovated by making all the celebrations in sign language accessible to the hearing impaired, they will be broadcast on a special YouTube channel and on TV 2000, the channel of the Italian Church.

► Read also : Prayer at home and connected faithful for Holy Week in Italy

Notice to confined pilgrims: an internet platform to be live with 28 sanctuaries from 17 European countries has just been launched: https://t.co/BxTZLzsQRc @ComeceEu https://t.co/aesa9uECE8

Vatican News (@vaticannews_en) April 9, 2020

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Coronavirus: Pope's “urbi et orbi” blessing on a deserted Saint-Pierre square