Worries about the coronavirus outbreak have triggered widespread cancellations of Holy Week processions and in-person services. The pandemic has prompted cancellation of a renowned annual tradition of sawdust and handmade flower carpets coating the streets of Antigua, a colonial Guatemalan city, during its Holy Week procession. In Venezuela, Catholic officials said that after the Holy Week liturgies, some priests would try to take the Blessed Sacrament -- the wine and bread of Holy Communion -- on a vehicle and, using loudspeakers, invite congregants to join in spirit from their windows and balconies. Large Holy Week gatherings are banned in several states after a federal court overruled a decree by President Jair Bolsonaro exempting religious services from quarantine measures. He's expecting upwards of 20,000 people to watch the online Easter service.

Source: ABC News April 04, 2020 16:30 UTC