For most of the 260 million Orthodox Christians, Easter, a highlight of the religious calendar, took place Sunday behind closed doors - Covid-19 requires. A certain number of faithful nevertheless transgressed the obligation of confinement, following a part of the clergy who, for various reasons, had opposed this " secular " rule .
In Russia, Kirill, the head of the Moscow patriarchate who claims the most Orthodox worshipers in the world (150 million), resolved to recommend following services at home, in the face of the progression of the pandemic. Leading by example, Vladimir Putin, who usually celebrates Easter in the great Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which is closed to the public this year, lit a candle on Saturday evening in the small chapel of his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, near Moscow. Saturday evening, Kirill was however present in Saint-Sauveur to celebrate Easter Mass with some religious from the capital.
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At the end of March, the patriarch had given instructions
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