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Pope Francis attends the Holy Saturday Easter vigil mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on April 19, 2014.
If you’re looking for a way to enjoy Easter Mass from the comfort of your own home, Vatican News will be streaming the Easter Sunday service, held at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, on YouTube. The service, presided over by Pope Francis, kicks off at 4:55 a.m. ET, which is 10:55 a.m. in Vatican City.
Likewise, the Easter Vigil Mass will be held in the Vatican Basilica at 3 p.m. ET (9:00 p.m. in Vatican City) on Saturday, April 11. “The following day, the Holy Father will celebrate Easter Sunday Mass in the basilica and conclude with the ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message and blessing,” Vatican News reports.
Viewers will be able to follow the masses at home, with live-streams on Facebook, YouTube and the Vatican News website. Heavy will add a live stream link to YouTube as soon as one becomes available.
Pope Francis Will Continue Mass as Usual Via Live Stream
A statement was released on Friday morning by Monsignor Guido Marini, the Master of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, regarding the shift to live stream for Easter Mass due to the continuous spread of the COVID-19 virus, commonly known as the coronavirus.
“Following the extraordinary situation that has arisen, due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, and taking into account the provisions of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, through a Decree dated 25 March 2020, an update was needed regarding the upcoming liturgical celebrations presided over by the Holy Father Pope Francis, with regard to the calendar and participation,” the statement reads.
Pope Francis already held a Palm Sunday mass last week via live stream, as well as a celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, although the ceremony was changed from the usual site of the Colosseum to St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
“He will preside over the celebration of the Lord’s Passion at 6pm. However, that night, the Stations of the Cross will not be held at the traditional site of the Colosseum, but in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican at 9:00 pm,” the Vatican News site reads. Check out a live stream of the Good Friday ceremony above.
Andrea Bocelli Will Be Performing From Milan’s Duomo Cathedral on Sunday Via Live Stream
According to Travel and Leisure, Milan’s Duomo cathedral will also be celebrating Easter Sunday with a live-stream performance by Andrea Bocelli, who will be singing famous renditions of several iconic religious songs, including “Ave Maria” and “Sancta Maria.” Bocelli will be accompanied by cathedral organist Emanuele Vianelli, in partnership with the city of Milan.
In a Vatican News interview about the effect of the coronavirus, the Pope said he hoped that the world would not “lose our memory once all this is past, let us not file it away and go back to where we were. This is the time to take the decisive step, to move from using and misusing nature to contemplating it. We have lost the contemplative dimension; we have to get it back at this time.”
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