Hundreds of Bulgarian Christians flocked to the Orthodox temples for outdoor services on a surreal Saturday night with the Balkan state one of the few countries where churches remained open over the Easter holidays amid the coronavirus pandemic.
People wearing face masks in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease maintain social distance as they attend Orthodox Easter service outside Sveti Sedmochislenitsi church in Sofia, Bulgaria, April 19, 2020. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov
“I’m here because my faith is strong and I’m not afraid,” Petrova, wearing a protective mask, told Reuters. “I remember the communist times and how mounted policemen used to surround the church to intimidate worshippers.” The restrictions, imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak, have meant observing an Easter Sunday unlike any Bulgarians have lived through before.
Bulgaria, which declared a state of emergency until May 13, has imposed a ban on groups of more than two adults congregating together. It has shut schools, restaurants and other public venues and imposed a ban on non-essential travel. “On Easter, our thoughts and prayers will be with those who are no longer among us and those who are fighting this vile disease, doctors and medical workers in particular and everyone who is at the forefront of the fight for life,” Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte said.
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