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Bishop of Malaga officially suspends all Holy Week processions this year

The Easter week processions in Spain usually draw huge crowds.
The Easter week processions in Spain usually draw huge crowds. / SUR

  • The bishop of the diocese, Jesús Catalá, has signed an order to suspend the acts normally witnessed by huge crowds

  • JESÚS HINOJOSA

On 29 December, the archbishop of Seville suspended the Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions due to the coronavirus health crisis. The following day, the Archbishop of Granada did the same, and he was followed by the bishop of Cadiz, on 8 January. Given this situation, it was only a matter of time before the Bishop of Malaga did so also.

The bishop of the diocese, Jesús Catalá, has signed an order to suspend “all acts of external worship and all celebrations in which use of public roads is made“.

“Instead each local priest, in collaboration with the brotherhoods affected, will organise the most appropriate prayer or celebration according to the pandemic guidelines," the decree added.

Also this Friday the Junta de Andalucía’s spokesman, Elías Bendodo, said that "all the acts that are planned for the next Holy Week must be adapted to the health protocol in force at that time".

“It will not be the Holy Week of two years ago but neither was last year when there was nothing.”

He said the Andalusian regional government will analyse all the possible alternatives to the processions so that "events that do not involve a massive crowd of people can be celebrated with all the affection".

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