Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby hails heroism of COVID warriors in United Kingdom

London: The Archbishop of Canterbury on Sunday hailed the “heroism” of the UK’s front-line workers during the coronavirus pandemic, as the country’s churches remain closed over Easter for the first time in hundreds of years.

Archbishop Justin Welby led the UK’s first-ever national digital Easter Sunday service from his kitchen from his apartment in central London, the BBC reported.

“After so much suffering, so much heroism from key workers and the NHS, we cannot be content to go back to what was before as if all is normal,” he said in the sermon recorded on his iPad.

“There needs to be a resurrection of our common life.”

The service was broadcast live on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday and was available to watch on the Church of England’s website and Facebook page. The Archbishop normally presides before a congregation of 1,500 people at Canterbury Cathedral on Easter morning.

However, all traditional Easter services have been cancelled to follow the government’s rules on social distancing. A message posted from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Twitter account wished the country a happy Easter.

“This year across the country churches will remain closed and families will spend the day apart,” the message said.

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