THE liturgies of this Holy Week were celebrated by Pope Francis this year without the physical presence of the millions who have traditionally attended them.
On Holy Thursday, he celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 6 p.m. at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, without the traditional Washing of the Feet.
On Good Friday, the Stations of the Cross (Via Crucis) took place starting at 9 p.m. at St. Peter’s Square, with stops around the Colonnade and the obelisk at the center of the square, ending at the steps leading to the basilica.
The cross was carried by two groups – one composed of prisoners from Padua and the other composed of doctors and nurses from the Vatican’s health care department, in acknowledgement of the crucial role now being played by the world’s doctors and nurses in the global effort against COVID-19.
The Holy Saturday Vigil began at 9 p.m. with the lighting of a fire behind the Altar of Confession. The bells of the basilica rang at the moment of the Gloria announcing the Resurrection.
Today, Easter Sunday, Pope Francis will celebrate Easter Sunday Mass at the Altar of the Chair in the basilica at 11 a.m. After the Mass, he will remove his vestments in the sacristy, then return to the Altar of the Confession, where he will deliver his traditional message “Urbi et Orbi” – To the City and to the World – and give his Easter blessing.
These are all traditional ceremonies of the Church but with a big difference this year – the absence of the great crowds that come to Rome every year to listen to the Pope and receive his blessing. All because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has infected some 1.4 million people and killed over 80,000 around the world.
In the Philippines, the ancient tradition of Visita Iglesia – visiting of seven churches – was done by the faithful via smart TV, desktops and laptops, and smartphones. They were able to follow all the traditional rites at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican led by Pope Francis.
Holy Week this year, and the 40-day period of Lent that preceded it, came at a time of so much fear and pain because of COVID-19. It is not yet known when it will pass but – like all the plagues and epidemics of the past around the world – it will surely end.
Even now, governments are planning for the recovery of national economies and people are looking forward to resuming the lives they lived before the quarantine.
It is that spirit of hope that marked the celebration of Easter Sunday today. God sent his son to save the world with the sacrifice of his life on Good Friday, He rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, and all the sorrow suffered by those early followers of Christ was replaced by the joy and hope of the Resurrection.
Our hope is that the suffering of the nations caused by COVID-19 will similarly soon be over and recovery can begin.
