Coronavirus: some places of worship reopen in Madagascar

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In Madagascar, the Reformed Protestant Church and the Lutheran Church, which have tens of thousands of faithful in the country, decided to reopen their places of worship this Sunday, April 26. They had been closed for more than a month, after the announcement of the first cases of coronavirus on the Big Island. The country currently has 124. Reportage.

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Inside the Reformed Church in the Mahamasina district, around thirty faithful, masked and spaced about two meters from each other, attend the worship of Pastor Tiana Ranaivoniarivo. If in Madagascar, the confinement is lifted from 6h to 13h, gatherings of more than fifty people are indeed still prohibited. "  We have followed all the measures to protect the lives of Christians and of everyone," assures the pastor . Faith will not be overcome by disease. We pray for our homeland and for the whole world that we will be victorious against the coronavirus.  "

At the end of the service, the benches are sprayed with disinfectant. A small group of faithful patient to attend the next worship. Hand washing, shoe disinfection and temperature measurement ... a somewhat disturbing device but for Mbola, 29, it is a relief to be able to return to places of worship: "  It is stronger to pray together than to be alone. So it's important for us to come here to the church. In the house of God, there is peace, we still feel safe. If everyone follows all the sanitary measures, there will be no problem, I think.  "

When he heard of the reopening of his church, Beantanana, retired, did not hesitate. “  We are a poor country. Madagascar does not have the means to protect itself, he explains. There is no valid health system. I sincerely confide in God. I never go out and it is an opportunity for me to go out and go out to pray. If I get sick, it will be God's will.  "

Each place of worship that wishes to open its doors must request an authorization, said the prefect of the capital.

For their part, the Catholic churches of the diocese of Antananarivo decided to wait even before the reopening, as did the mosques that did not reopen on Friday.

► Read also: Coronavirus in Madagascar: collective use of the presidential remedy in schools

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