- Today is Palm Sunday, which is a Christian holiday that marks the beginning of Holy Week.
- Around the world, as churches are closed or severely limited to due the coronavirus pandemic, Christians are finding various ways to observe the holiday.
- In Italy, mass was held on the rooftops of churches so people can open their windows and “attend” services.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Christianity is the world’s largest religion, with at least 2 billion people counting themselves as Christians in every corner of the planet.
April 5 is Palm Sunday, one of the holiest days of the year in Christianity, as it marks the beginning of Holy Week – the week before Easter. However, amidst the coronavirus pandemic, churches are closed and large gatherings are prohibited, leaving Christians in a scramble to adapt to these new circumstances while observing the holiday.
Thanks to technology and creative thinking, people across the globe are celebrating the holiday today via their laptops, Facebook, rooftops, drive-through churches, and more.
Here’s how the world is celebrating Palm Sunday, from the US to Tanzania to Denmark.
Jerusalem, Israel, is normally home to one of the biggest Palm Sunday marches in the world. This year, the streets are essentially empty.
Instead, monks are going door to door with masks to help citizens observe the holiday.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is one of the holiest sites in Christianity. Since it's on lockdown, people have resorted to praying at its closed doors.
The country has a total of 48 deaths due to COVID-19, with just over 8,000 cases, according to Haaretz.
In Illiers-Combray, France, a priest set up his phone to live-stream services on Sunday morning.
France has been on lockdown since March 17, in an attempt to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The lockdown order was extended until at least April 15 after 10 days.
In Harare, Zimbabwe, Father Kennedy Mugute also used his phone to stream Palm Sunday Mass on Facebook Live.
Zimbabwe confirmed their first case of the coronavirus on March 20.
The situation in Vilnius, Lithuania, is a little more high-tech, with a professional camera operator.
Eleven people have died in Lithuania thus far due to the coronavirus.
In Manila, Philippines, people are using their laptops to conduct mass inside their homes.
The Philippines is the only Roman Catholic majority in Southeast Asia, with around 85% practicing the faith.
On the other side of the country in Borongan, priests drove through the streets to bless their parishioners waiting on sidewalks.
The country's leader, Rodrigo Duterte, cautioned his citizens, announcing his orders to the police and the military: "If anyone creates trouble, and their lives are in danger: shoot them dead."
In Jakarta, Indonesia, people also used technology to observe the holiday.
According to Al Jazeera, Indonesia has reported the most fatalities due to COVID-19. There have been 1,986 confirmed cases and 181 deaths as of April 3, with a fatality rate of 9.1%.
A church in Baltimore, Maryland, is determined to hold services.
Police were on hand to enforce the governor's order limiting the size of gatherings in the state to 10 people or fewer amid the increasing constraints on social gatherings, Getty reported.
Father P. Gnana Reddy in Secunderabad, India, performed a private mass to an empty church.
As of Saturday, India, the world's second-largest country, had a total of 2,547 cases, and 62 deaths, according to CNN.
While India is a majority-Hindu country, 2.4% of the population identifies as Christian - or just over 24 million people.
In Rome, Italy, Palm Sunday Mass was held on a church's rooftop so everyone could participate from their windows.
Italy has been hit hard by COVID-19 - more than 124,000 people have tested positive for the virus, and over 15,000 people have died.
Windows all around the church were opened, so that the inhabitants could pray along with the service.
Roman Catholic churches are ordered to stay closed until April 3, an unprecedented move in modern times, Reuters reported.
The Almudena Cathedral in Madrid, Spain, remained empty.
The Almudena Cathedral is one of Madrid's most popular tourist sites, but it stood eerily quiet on Palm Sunday, as the country remains on lockdown until at least April 25. Spain has been hit hard by the virus, reporting over 11,000 deaths.
On the contrary, in Achmiany, Belarus, services were packed, though some took precautions with masks and gloves.
As of April 4, Belarus is one of the few remaining European countries that's not on lockdown. The country's leader, Alexander Lukashenko, called the virus a "psychosis," and said that "panic can hurt us more than the virus itself."
In Lahore, Pakistan, people also donned masks to observe the holiday.
Pakistan, the fifth-most populated country in the world, has struggled to enforce lockdown rules, according to the New York Times.
Elsewhere in Islamabad, Pakistan, Christians are praying inside chalk circles to enforce social distancing.
It's recommended to stay 6 feet away from people at all times to prevent the spread.
A priest inside the Podgorze Church in Krakow, Poland, performed mass to a small smattering of parishioners.
The church seems relatively empty, as Poland remains on lockdown. The country has about 3,500 cases of COVID-19.
In Copenhagen, Denmark, a pastor experimented with a drive-in service.
This is a good way to limit contact with other people, but still get out of the house to observe the holiday. Denmark is considering easing their restrictions, if the amount of cases and deaths remain stable after Easter, Al Jazeera reported.
In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, churchgoers had to get their temperatures checked before entering the church.
A fever is one of the most common symptoms of the coronavirus.
But once inside, social distancing wasn't practiced — though carriers of the virus can be asymptomatic.
The country reported its first case of COVID-19 on March 16.
In Vatican City, Vatican, Pope Francis performed mass inside a nearly empty St. Peter's Basilica.
This is the first-ever Palm Sunday Mass without a congregation.
Pope Francis, along with a small number of top clergy members and nuns, were guarded by police outside.
"The Holy Father's remarks during the service addressed young people in particular, whom he urged to consider 'real heroes,' who are not rich and famous but 'those who are giving themselves in order to serve others,'" Insider reported.
A cameraman at Vatican TV wore a protective mask while streaming Palm Sunday's mass.
Vatican City reported their first case of the coronavirus on March 6, The Daily Beast reported.
In Aleppo, Syria, a sizable group of parishioners turned up to celebrate.
Though Vatican News reported that churches were closed in Syria, it's clear that the rules aren't being enforced well in the war-torn country.
However, in Beirut, Lebanon, churches were closed to all.
Normally, Lebanese Christians celebrate Palm Sunday with a procession throughout the city, which was canceled this year.
- Read more:
- Photos show how Pope Francis hosted the first-ever Palm Sunday Mass without a congregation
- A couple married for 51 years died of COVID-19 just 6 minutes apart. Now their son is sharing his family's tragedy to warn about the disease.
- How celebrities are staying entertained while self-isolating - from LED face masks to giant games of Jenga
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