Covid-19: Church initiatives
around the world at Easter
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| Sant'Egidio volunteers distribute provision at a Roma camp in Rome (ANSA) |
Important religious feasts such as Easter and Christmas are
marked by solemn liturgies that are attended by the faithful in large numbers
and are followed by celebrations, greetings and hugs. But none of that this
Easter under the Covid-19 lockdown. However, Churches and communities around
the world are finding creative ways to express the hope, solidarity and love
that Easter stands for.
By Robin Gomes
Well, we begin with Europe, where Italy, Spain and France
are the hardest hit by the coronavirus that has sent the entire world into
turmoil.
European bishops
The Catholic bishops of the continent are inviting their
faithful to light a candle in front of their windows this evening, the eve of
Easter, and pray for the world in turmoil and fear in the Covid-19
pandemic.
The invitation comes from Italian Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco,
the president of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European
Union (COMECE) and Luxembourger Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, the
President of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE).
A note published on the CCEE website explains, "It is a
small but significant and symbolic gesture of hope in this historical and
dramatic moment in which millions of people in Europe and in the rest of the
world are affected by great suffering and uncertainty caused by Covid-19
pandemic.”
In a prayer, the two cardinals ask the Father, Creator of
the world, to look upon His “children, who in this difficult time of confusion
and dismay [are] seeking strength, salvation and relief” and ask all people of
goodwill to pray to God to “heal the sick, comfort their families and give
wisdom to our rulers”.
The European bishops are joining Pope Francis in reiterating
the closeness of the Church to all those struggling due to this outbreak: the
victims, their families and all healthcare workers, volunteers and faithful who
are in the frontline in caring for those affected and bringing them relief.
The European bishops note that “the current context of fear
leads us to be wary of the other, which is perceived as a potential
danger". "More than ever,” the two cardinals say, “we must cultivate
the furrows of fraternity: it is together and united that we will overcome this
scourge.”
The Netherlands
Meanwhile, parishes across the Netherlands have been invited
to ring their church bells simultaneously for 15 minutes at noon on Easter
Sunday and Easter Monday.
The invitation from the Bishops’ Conference of the
Netherlands is to express the closeness of the pastors “to the faithful at a
time when it is not possible to celebrate the liturgy together and share a
moment of prayer".
Church bells usually ring to call the faithful to the
celebration of the Mass. This time, the Dutch bishops are calling on
people to connect at home with the worship of the Church that continues but
cannot be celebrated publicly because of the coronavirus pandemic.
They are also inviting Christian denominations to
participate in this initiative, to proclaim that the Lord has truly
risen. It is also the time to pray for the dramatic situation that the
country is experiencing because of the Coronavirus and for the many who are
suffering.
Poland
In Poland, where there is the tradition of offering food
baskets during the Easter liturgy, the faithful have been invited to do so
virtually online.
With over 6000 cases of coronavirus and 195 deaths, the
country has been on lockdown since mid-March.
"Despite the restrictions, we will not give up
preparing Easter baskets with eggs,” said the spokesman of the Polish Bishops’
Conference, Father Paweł Rytel-Andrianik. “We are creating virtual
communities waiting to embrace each other," he said, urging particularly
children to spread the initiative online.
On Easter Sunday, a family member will pronounce the
blessing formula which can be downloaded from the website of the Bishops’
Conference or he dioceses. The faithful have been asked to publish the
photos of their Easter basket on the social media with the hashtag #
Święconka.
Fr. Rytel-Andrianik urged all Poles to connect with their
loved ones through phone calls, messages and photos. “We share these
moments through social media and create a virtual community waiting to embrace
us again."
The priest expressed the bishops’ closeness to the elderly,
the sick and the lonely and invited all to pray for the dead and their
families. "Let's also remember the doctors, nurses, paramedics and all
those who will spend Easter at work for our health and safety," he added.
Italy
In, Italy, the Community of Sant'Egidio is organizing a
lunch for the poor on Easter Sunday and Monday in Rome.
“We must not leave anyone alone, especially the most fragile
and vulnerable people, who in these days of the pandemic are more isolated and
struggle to satisfy their primary food needs, due to the reduced movement of
people and the closure of all catering establishments,” said the Rome-based
international Christian lay group, committed to peace and development.
Sant'Egidio has put in place various solidarity initiatives
across Italy during these hard times. Thanks to the generosity of many
people, every week, the group in various parts of Italian cities, is able to
bring provisions to people who unfortunately have lost their jobs in the
nationwide lockdown.
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