La Christmas mass 2020 it will necessarily be a different mass. With the curfew set at 22.00 it was predictable: no celebration at midnight, but earlier times to allow the faithful not to contravene the anti-Covid provisions. Also Pope Francesco spoke on the issue, anticipating his traditional Christmas mass at 21.30pm
Christmas Mass 2020, the pontiff's initiative
Il Pope, every year, celebrates the Christmas Eve Mass at 21.30pm. This year, however, things will be different: the celebration will be held at 19.30, two hours earlier than usual, always from the altar of the Chair of the Vatican Basilica. The next day, and therefore at Christmas, the traditional one blessing Urbi and Orbi (the ancient blessing to the city of Rome and to the world) will be staged at 12.00 inside the Saint Peter Basilica. A second change, since until last year it was held from the central loggia. The goal of the mass of Christmas 2020 is to avoid gatherings. The liturgy of the Vigil will therefore take place in the presence of a few faithful. And, during the blessing, the Pope will not look out onto the square precisely to avoid the risk that a crowd will be waiting for him.
The other Vatican appointments, on the other hand, remain unchanged: December 31st Te Deum will be staged at 17.00 in St. Peter's Basilica, the same location as the masses that will be celebrated at 10.00 on the first of the year and then on the Epiphany. "There Participation at the celebrations it will be very limited, with faithful identified according to the methods used in recent months, in compliance with the protection measures provided and subject to changes due to the health situation ", the Vatican reassured. Finally the blessing of the "children" (the statuettes of the Child Jesus), a tradition begun by Paul VI in 1969 and scheduled this year for December 13, will be held in the presence of very few children in St. Peter's Square. For all the others the virtual blessing, and therefore from home, it will be equally valid.
The situation in other churches
Not even the "normal" village churches will be able to celebrate their masses at midnight. The 22.00 curfew is mandatory, and will be at least until mid-January (yellow, orange or red regions). For this reason the CEI (Italian Episcopal Conference) he asked parish priests and bishops to organize timetables so that, at 22.00, all the faithful can be in their homes. “It will be necessary to foresee the start and duration of the celebration at a time compatible with the so-called curfew”: these are the words of the CEI. With the consequent decision of the parish priests to fix the masses between the 18.00 and the 20.00. However, the rules change from diocese to diocese.
The liturgical office of the diocese of Rome has made it known that the form for the evening mass can be used from 16.30 pm, that of the "old" midnight mass from 18.00 pm. The archbishop of Naples Crescenzio Pepe instead set the midnight mass at 18.00 pm, but asked to use the form for the evening mass.
The indications of the European Union for the 2020 Christmas mass
The European Union has in recent days released the guidelines for the holidays, also speaking of masses. Brussels has asked Member States to use as much as possible the online, television or radio celebrations. He then invited to assign seats close to families, to impose the use of the mask and to forbid singing.
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