Egypt’s Palm Sunday in time of Coronavirus

I do not think before that Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church held Palm Sunday without a public audience in its modern history.

The Coptic Orthodox Church live-streamed the mass led by its head, Pope Tawadros II, through its social media accounts and Christian Coptic Orthodox TV channels.

Pope Tawadros II led the mass at Saint Pishoy Monastery in Behaira governorate’s Wadi El-Natroun. Already Egypt’s biggest and oldest Church announced that its pope would hold the rest of the Holy Week’s masses in the monastery in the heart of the desert.

Churches have been closed just like Mosques since Mid-March in order to curb the spread of Coronavirus through public gathers.

Photographer Roger Anis documented one of Cairo’s biggest Church empty during the mass this Sunday and it was a sad scene.

By Roger Anis for Masrawy 

He took this photo at Saint Samaan, the Tanner Monastery in Mokktam.

Many Egyptian Christians expressed their sadness on how they were not allowed to pray in their churches and as Muslim, I feel them. The Mosques are all closed, we do not hear the Adhan and Ramadan will commence at the end of the month.

I totally relate to this sadness but this is for the greater good.

Happy Palm Sunday to all those celebrating on Sunday according to the Orthodox Church and Happy Easter to all those celebrating it as well in the West. 

This time shall pass inshallah.