Pope Francis celebrates Good Friday under COVID curbs

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis celebrated Good Friday in a severely restricted form because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Catholic Church leader remembered the suffering and death of Jesus Christ in a service in St Peter's Basilica, reports dpa news agency. According to the Vatican, only a few faithful was admitted to the Pope's Masses around Easter because of health measures.

The large public Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum in the centre of Rome, which used to be a moving event for many pilgrims, was cancelled.

Instead, similar to the beginning of the pandemic, a small Stations of the Cross celebration is scheduled to take place in St Peter's Square in front of the basilica at 9 p.m. The event traditionally re-enacts Jesus' journey to death on the cross. For this meditation, children and young people have written texts and made pictures.

According to church information, some of the children come from foster homes in Rome. For the 84-year-old Pope Francis, it is the second Holy Week and Easter under severe coronavirus restrictions. Easter, as the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, is the most important religious festival for Christians. (IANS)

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