Easter Week celebrations are moving online as shelter-in-place orders remain in effect.
“Worship services this weekend in many denominations will be quite different with empty churches,” says Paul Murphy, history professor and director of the Institute of Catholic studies at John Carroll University. “In the case of the Catholic Church, masses that will be live-streamed but the only persons in the church will be the priests.”
Christianity has traditionally placed a strong emphasis on the community and teaches its followers to be selfless.
“The Archbishop of Baltimore has said we are a religion of faith and reason, and that therefore its unreasonable for Christians to gather in large numbers because it would endanger the lives of others. And how does that show love for your neighbor?" says Murphy.
The response by church leaders demonstrates the modernization of the church.
“The understanding of modern science has lead churches like the Catholic Church to listen to public health authorities in a way they might not have in the 14th century at the time of the great plagues in Europe at that time.”
Murphy says there is nothing to prohibit people from a rich experience of faith prayer and spirituality even if they are unable to go to church physically, and advises followers to remember when Jesus said, “where two or three of you are gathered in my own name, there I am as well.”