Christian Quebecers welcome return of Way of the Cross procession

After two years of pandemic disruptions, Quebec Christians marked Good Friday with the return of in-person Easter services at full capacity and a traditional procession through the streets of Montreal.

Montreal Catholic Archbishop Christian Lépine led a silent crowd on the Way of the Cross procession that began at the historic Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours church in Old Montreal.

The masked crowd followed the tall wooden cross as it was carried through the sunny streets, stopping for hymns and prayers at several different churches along the way.

At the iconic Notre-Dame Basilica, employees stood guard at the door, dutifully reminding visitors to mask up.

The procession, which commemorates the events leading to Jesus' crucifixion and death, was cancelled for the last two years.

Lépine said the Easter message is one of hope at a time when the world is struggling with the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jesus' death and resurrection, he said, is particularly poignant at a time of turmoil.

"Love is stronger than death, love is stronger than suffering, love is stronger than evil," he said.

This is the first Easter that churches have been able to host full-capacity in-person events since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Gatherings were not permitted in 2020 and, in 2021, church attendance was capped at 250 people.

Lépine said the church, like many parts of society, has also faced economic hardship and the difficulty of staying connected in the absence of in-person services.

Quebec's Catholic churches, which have long struggled with low attendance and soaring maintenance costs, were hit by a new set of challenges including lack of collection plate income, as well as the loss of donations and other revenue from visiting tourists.

Lépine said the church had to adapt to the pandemic by holding more events online, and by reaching out to community members who aren't Internet savvy by phone.

Gaetan Desrosiers, a lifelong churchgoer, said he'd adjusted during the pandemic by attending services online, and even outdoors in parking lots in the dead of winter. When indoor services first resumed, the 70-year-old had to change churches because his usual site wasn't big enough to accommodate everyone with limited capacity.

This year, he said he felt compelled to join the Good Friday procession in person to pay tribute to the victims of the war in Ukraine.