COVID-19 pandemic forces Ash Wednesday changes worldwide
Fox News
Ash Wednesday services will look different for Christian churches around the world this year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a Jan. 12 note, the congregation wrote that priests should bless the ashes -- which are made from the palm fronds used at the prior year's Palm Sunday service -- and sprinkle them with holy water before reciting the Roman Missal. "The priest then cleanses his hands, puts on a face mask and distributes the ashes to those who come to him or, if appropriate, he goes to those who are standing in their places," the note from Cardinal Robert Sarah and Archbishop Arthur Roche instructs. "The priest takes the ashes and sprinkles them on the head of each one without saying anything."More Related News