This year, there will not be faithful physically present at the Pope’s Holy Week and Easter events.
This was written in an informative note on the website of the Prefecture of the Papal Household, which was published the evening of Saturday, March 14, 2020.
«The Prefecture of the Pontifical Household,» the note began, «announces that, because of the current global public health emergency, all the Liturgical Celebrations of Holy Week will take place without the physical presence of the faithful.»
«Furthermore, this Prefecture informs that until April 12 the General Audiences and the Angelus presided over by the Holy Father will be available only in live streaming on the official Vatican News website.»
After the Pope’s Angelus address was streamed by Vatican media on Sunday, March 15, 2020, at noon Rome time, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, made the following statement in response to journalists’ inquiries.
«With regard to the liturgical celebrations of Holy Week,» Bruni stated, «I can specify that they are all confirmed. At present, methods of implementation and participation are being studied which respect the security measures put in place to avoid the spread of coronavirus.»
«These methods,» he noted, «will be communicated as soon as they are defined, in line with the evolution of the situation of the epidemia.»
«Whatever be the method envisioned,» the Vatican spokesman continued, «the liturgical celebrations of Holy Week will be broadcast live on radio and television, also worldwide and in streaming on the Vatican News website, and the images will be distributed by Vatican Media to the media that request them. »
