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Romanian Orthodox Church : Rules for Palm Sunday and Easter
The Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) has announced the rules for the Palm Sunday and Easter celebrations in Romania this year due to the restrictions over the coronavirus pandemic.
Thus, the pilgrimage on Palm Sunday is not held anymore this year, while believers can go out in front of their houses during the Resurrection night to light candles or to take the Holy Light from the volunteers.
The Palm Sunday pilgrimage is suspended this year. The willow branches will be blessed in churches and will be distributed by the church’s volunteers to the believers in the local parish upon their request. Volunteers will wear protective facemasks and gloves.
The confession and communion can be carried out at the person’s residence. The priest can go inside the house wearing disposable footwear and facemask, will use only the worship book and the liturgical kit for the communion. The kit will be disinfected before and after use.
The Holy Light will be brought by plane from Jerusalem on Saturday morning, April 18 and will be distributed to all dioceses in the country. Volunteers wearing protective masks, gloves and a badge will take the light to the believers who require for it at their houses. Believers will wait for the church’s volunteers in front of their houses with candles.
The Resurrection service will not be attended by believers this year, will start on Saturday at midnight outside the church. While bells will ring in all churches, believers can come out to the windows or on their balconies or in the courtyards, addressing the hail “Christ is Risen”.
In the first day of Easter, starting 6 a.m. in the morning, volunteers will offer elderly and sick people the blessed bread sprayed with holy water and wine, as well as food gifts.