display
Munich (dpa / lby) - Christians in Bavaria are celebrating Christmas this year under strict Corona conditions.
Some services were held digitally or in the open air, and some were broadcast live on the Internet, on the radio or on television.
The bishops promoted responsible interaction with one another on Christmas Eve.
Everyone could carry on the message of Jesus Christ by paying attention to one another, says the Protestant regional bishop Bedford-Strohm at an ecumenical service together with the Munich Cardinal Reinhard Marx.
Everyone could convey this by “calling lonely people or sending them handwritten letters” or by “reducing physical contacts and, where possible, coming together digitally”.
The celebration was broadcast live on the internet.
It was originally planned for the Chinese Tower in the English Garden, but was then moved to the Youth Church of the Good Shepherd.
Due to the risk of infection, only participants and representatives of the Working Group of Christian Churches were allowed to enter the church in Munich.
display
Right now it must be remembered that “all people are connected to one another and that we have responsibility for one another,” said Marx at the service.
In his subsequent Christmas sermon on Christmas Eve in Munich's Liebfrauendom, Marx emphasized, according to the text that was distributed in advance: "God is at home in our world, especially now in the Corona period".
God is present with the families who are celebrating Christmas only in a smaller circle this year, said Marx.
"He is there: in the intensive care units and in the nursing homes, he is at home with the homeless, with those on the run and with the children on the island of Lesbos."
130 people were allowed in the Liebfrauendom.
Otherwise far more than 1000 believers come to the cathedral at Christmas.
Marx and Bedford-Strohm had defended the decision to hold church services.
"I also see the many who are starving for an encounter, for a service, for the celebration of the Eucharist," said Marx to the "Münchner Merkur".
"It should not be underestimated that this is a source of hope and consolation for many people."
display
Bedford-Strohm told Bayerischer Rundfunk that there were people for whom a live stream church service was an ideal alternative.
But there are also lonely people who need a service on site, but "only under the strictest hygiene requirements."
There are good reasons to keep the opportunity open to hear the Christmas message in the churches this Christmas too.
The Archbishop of Bamberg, Ludwig Schick, is focusing on children and young people in the Corona crisis.
In his Christmas sermon in Bamberg Cathedral, he especially addressed those who live in confined spaces in large families and cannot play in large apartments or their own gardens, but also those who experience or suffer violence.
“The corona pandemic makes life even more difficult.
Your mental and physical wounds are now discovered even less quickly, "said Schick according to the message.
In his Christmas sermon in Kilians Cathedral, Würzburg Bishop Franz Jung reminded that the word pandemic derives from the Greek "pan demos", which means "whole people".
"So Christmas is about the pandemic of joy and hope, because God (...) is with us and because he does not leave us alone in our need," said Jung, according to a sermon published in advance.
display
In his sermon, the Bishop of Augsburg, Bertram Meier, wanted to keep his distance and other safety precautions “not permanent”.
"Because always keeping your distance is not human," he said, according to the text that was distributed in advance.
«Corona cannot take Christmas away from us.
Whoever wants to be human needs Christmas.
There shouldn't be a Corona generation that doesn't know Christmas. "
In many places the churches and believers organized Christmas with their own actions.
For example, there were church services “to go” with material for home church services to take away.
The nativity play was staged as an online version instead of live in the church - or as an audio path in nature.
Singers from Bamberg Cathedral Music presented a “Choraoke” version of “Praise God, you Christians all equal” to sing along on the Internet.
Services after 9 p.m. are prohibited in Bavaria due to the curfew.
Christmas masses or midnight masses can be followed online on Christmas Eve: Many municipalities in the Free State publish the late evening masses on the Internet.
As a sign of hope, many Catholic and Protestant parishes in Bavaria want to ring the bells at 10 p.m.
The Bishop of Passau, Stefan Oster, regretted the strict rules.
The protection concepts of the churches are very good, he said in the “Bayern 2-radioWelt” of the Bavarian radio on Thursday.
“We could have gone one better and given a testimony to anyone who went out on the street that night that they had been to church.
But it's good now and we accept the situation, "emphasized Oster.
Bavaria's Catholic bishops had unsuccessfully urged the state government to allow exceptions to the strict exit restrictions from 9 p.m. for Christmas masses - also to straighten the time.
"Especially here in Upper Bavaria, Christmas mass is very important," Marx also told the "Münchner Merkur".
«The light in the middle of the night particularly illuminates the hope of Christmas.
But we can live with it in this special situation, and we will celebrate Christmas with joy even under these conditions. "
Communication from the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising to ringing bells
Notification of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising about Christmas masses
display
Framework conditions for celebrating public services
Livestream of church services in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising
Livestream ecumenical Christmas service from Munich-Haidhausen
Playlist of all Bavarian church services in livestream and as videos on YouTube
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria
Protestant church services in Bavaria
Choraoke action diocese of Bamberg