Lockdown weighs heavily on Orthodox Christians during Easter
By ELENA BECATOROS and DARIA LITVINOVA Associated Press
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — For Orthodox Christians, this is normally a time of reflection and communal mourning followed by joyful release, of centuries-old ceremonies steeped in symbolism and tradition. But this year, Easter — by far the most significant religious holiday for the world’s roughly 300 million Orthodox — has essentially been canceled. There will be no Good Friday processions, no hugs and kisses, or joyous proclamations of “Christ is risen!” as church bells ring at midnight on Holy Saturday. As the coronavirus rampages across the globe, claiming tens of thousands of lives, governments have imposed lockdowns in a desperate bid to halt the pandemic. Businesses have been shuttered and church doors shut.