Skip to content

Coronavirus: Easter celebrations continue under lockdown

Christians around the world have continued with Easter celebrations, experimenting with new forms of worship as many countries stay under lockdown.

Some clergy have been preaching to cameras in empty churches as their congregation watch services online this Easter Saturday.

But in other countries traditions continued as normal, ignoring calls for tougher restrictions to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

News imageAFP Palm Sunday celebrations in the village of Herasti, south of Bucharest, on 11 April 2020AFP
Worshippers gathered at a graveyard in Herasti, Romania, as part of traditional Orthodox celebrations on Saturday.
News imageEPA A smartphone is used for online streaming of a Catholic mass to mark Easter Sunday at a church in Quezon City, Metro Manila, PhilippinesEPA
Like many around the globe, this church in Quezon City, the Philippines, streamed its Easter Sunday service online.
News imageEPA Darryl Nelson (R) and his daughter Monique (L) watch a liturgy sent to them by their church community as they celebrate Easter in their home in Brisbane, AustraliaEPA
With lockdown measures in place, many Christians watched services from their homes - including this family in Melbourne, Australia.
News imageGetty Images Pastors wear mask as they pray during a Easter worship as South Koreans take measures to protect themselves against the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) at the Yoido Full Gospel ChurchGetty Images
Pastors wore masks during Sunday worship at a church in the South Korean capital Seoul.
News imageReuters People attend a service on the eve of Catholic Easter, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in the village of Dvorets, BelarusReuters
But in Belarus the government has ignored calls to impose stricter measures, prompting worshippers to attend a ceremony as normal at this Catholic church in Dvorets.
News imageAFP Deacon Bernd Malecki and server Anna hold an Easter service in front of portraits of believers at the St. Barbara church in Oberhausen, western Germany.AFP
Meanwhile social distancing rules are in place across areas of Germany. Clergy at a church in Oberhausen held their service in front of portraits of those unable to attend.
News imageGetty Images Boston Phillips, 11, dressed as a chick, waves to children during a drive-through Easter photo session at StoryHeights Church on April 11, 2020 in Newton, Massachusetts.Getty Images
A drive-through Easter event was also organised by a church in the US state of Massachusetts, where children dressed as chicks and rabbits.
News imageReuters A priest sprinkles holy water on believers and their food while circuiting in a horse-drawn cart all over the vicinity during the celebrations of Holy Saturday in Zakopane, PolandReuters
In the Polish town of Zakopane, a priest sprinkled holy water on worshippers while driving by on a horse-drawn cart.
News imageReuters A priest uses a van to give blessings during Easter Saturday in Santiago, ChileReuters
This priest gave blessings from the back of a van in the Chilean capital, Santiago.

All images subject to copyright.