From Bethlehem to Rio de Janeiro, Christians celebrate the second Christmas darkened by the Govt-19 epidemic

Released today at 2:00 p.m.

In Bethlehem’s Manker Square, some Santa Claus hats and the sound of drums remind us that today is a day of celebration. But again this year the crowd is low as the corona virus is spoiling the celebrations on December 24th.

According to Christian tradition, Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, is usually visited by thousands of tourists and foreign travelers for Christmas. But the city on the occupied West Bank once again had to be content with celebrations in a select committee, with Israel – which controls access to the Palestinian territories – closing borders to control the spread of the Omigran variant.

“It’s very different from other years. It was crowded.”, Underscores the crystal young man from Jerusalem. ⁇ “God, a stranger!”, We tell ourselves when we meet someone from now on “, This Dutch woman who married a Palestinian smiles. Palestinian Tourism Minister Rula Maya was delighted this year. “Thanks for the vaccines”, The city is celebrating again after the limited 2020 edition.

In Rome, on Friday evening, December 24, Pope Francis led a Christmas mask in front of 2,000 masked people at St. Peter’s Basilica, while billions of people around the world celebrated the dark Christmas as Covit-19 and lawsuits erupted. For the Omicron variant. The 85-year-old Argentine pope invited the faithful “Rediscover the Little Things in Life” In the new request for humility.

In the United States, President Joe Biden went to a Washington hospital with his wife, Jill, to follow the tradition of being the first woman to visit children admitted to the hospital at the end of each year.

The presidential couple praised the lights made by the young patients and missed some of the events about the German shepherd commander, whose recent visit to the White House made social media happy.

Canceled Broadway shows

The increase in Govt-19 infections is causing colds in festive programs. Even though the Netherlands is limited, meetings are generally easier than last year, Broadway canceled Christmas events in New York (USA) and Spain and Greece reintroduced the mandatory mask.

Most Australians will be able to travel back into the country, reinforcing the Christmas feeling in a country that, for the first time since the outbreak, is still experiencing record numbers of pollution. Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher greets in his Christmas message. “Moving scenes of people finding themselves at airports a few months after the split”.

But border closures and restrictions do not prevent a popular reindeer snowmobile from circling around the world. Canada’s Minister of Transport, Rudolf, also showed the group the green light “Nose shone with a thousand lights” And he Make sure he has no Govt-19 symptoms before the flight departs.. The same thinking on the Australian side: “Our air traffic controllers will safely guide Santa Claus through Australian airspace”, The Air Safety Authority said.

In Brazil, a black Santa Claus arrived by helicopter to deliver food parcels to residents of Benha Favela in Rio de Janeiro. “Kids look at me, smile, play, talk. They feel represented when they see a black Santa Claus.Leonardo Pereira da Silva, 30, is a resident of Favela and a member of the NGO Central Unicas dos Favelas (CUFA).

“I want to be with them”

In Kales, about a hundred people, including twenty-five immigrants, associations and Kales residents who came to support them, attended a Christmas Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Aras in a car park near a camp area. At temperatures below 10 ° C, but free from rain, they gathered around an arbor where an altar was briefly set up on a side table. They sat on a few benches, lawn chairs or, listening and praying for an hour before sharing a hot drink.

The immigrants who arrived were mainly Eritreans of the Orthodox faith, camped near this ruined land east of the galaxy, where the associations distribute food on a daily basis. “The situation is very dangerous for these people. I want to be with them.”, Explained Bishop Mgr Olivier Leborgne of Aras.