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Status: 04/03/2021 8:38 pm
It is a fundamental right that churches do not want to be deprived of. That is why many churches are open for trade fairs during Easter, for significantly fewer visitors and under strict hygiene regulations.
At the Paulusdom in Münster there are around 230 seats available for face-to-face services at Easter, taking into account the distance rules. The fairs are also held at the Aachen Cathedral, for which you need to register in advance. At the Cologne Cathedral, physical participation is possible with a free access card that can be booked online.
“Easter days in particular are at the core of our faith and our Christian faith lives off the common celebration of religious services. We build on that in everyday life,” says Provost Guido Assmann, explaining why the Catholics of Cologne they definitely want to celebrate mass together.
“Don’t let the thread break”
Services are popular at this time on Holy and Easter days. Assmann explains the Cologne hygiene concept: “Everyone wears mouth and nose protection at all religious services. Unfortunately, it is not sung, but fortunately we have singers who take over this service. We have a distance of at less two meters in the cathedral. Families are allowed to sit together “.
Distance requirements must be met during church services.
Image: Nadja Gawrisewicz / WDRempty>
In all the processions, which have reduced a lot, this distance is always maintained, says Assmann. We offer disinfectants at the entrance, we record people’s data and we ask you to register in advance if possible ”. All this makes it possible to maintain contact with the faithful so that “the thread does not break” and contact is not broken, especially with children and young people.
Catholics also defend the cult face to face
The Central Committee of German Catholics also advocates holding face-to-face services at Easter despite the corona pandemic. “Hundreds of planes are currently flying to Mallorca with people sitting very close,” said the president of the lay organization, Thomas Sternberg, of the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”. “At the same time, the services of the Catholic and Protestant church are not critical points. I do not understand why they should not be possible with strict rules and large intervals.”
Sternberg emphasized the importance of Easter as the liturgical highlight of the year. “We are not talking about a football game or a folk festival here,” he said. “It is about why there are these four days between Holy Thursday and Easter.” Easter cannot only take place digitally or on record.
The president of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, on the other hand, expects little attendance in churches in light of concerns about crown infections. “I suppose most of the worshipers will celebrate Easter services digitally and not come to churches,” Bedford-Strohm told the Funke media group newspapers.
Previous year’s experience
Already last Easter, many congregations created virtual worship formats almost from scratch and therefore experienced many good things, says the head of EKD. By at least 2021 it will be possible to hold religious services in the regions and buildings where you are responsible, albeit with significantly fewer people.
The Evangelical Church of Westphalia recommends holding worship services face to face only up to an incidence value of 100. Therefore, many congregations have developed creative ideas to bring out the Easter thoughts of churches.
Special project in Dortmund
In Dortmund, for example, an ecumenical tour was organized around Lake Phoenix. In the orange columns there are QR codes that believers can use to invoke music, texts or small tasks, for example: “Today greet two people who are coming towards you, close your eyes and stand up until you think of something to do. you can thank God today. ”
Those interested can access music, texts or small tasks using a QR code on the pillars.
Pastor Jan Lübking from the Protestant parish Dortmund-Hörde had already developed the idea for the Christmas season and now, with his volunteer helpers, he adapted it thematically to Easter in order to “broaden the perspective a bit, but also somehow bring happiness and tranquility to this difficult time. That was a concern of the young people. ”
With information from dpa and KNA.
