What will Ash Wednesday look like during Coronavirus Pandemic?

With the global pandemic still in full swing and no end in sight, many are wondering how this may affect Ash Wednesday.

Photo by Annika Gordon on Unsplash

Highlights

By Abigail James (CALIFORNIA NETWORK)
1/21/2021 (2 months ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: Ash Wednesday, pandemic, coronavirus, covid, Lent

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The Vatican has presented guidance on how priests can distribute ashes on this years' Ash Wednesday amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Catholic News Agency, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments released a note with direction for priests, stating they say the formula for distributing the ashes only once for everyone, rather than each person individually. 

The note, signed by the congregation's prefect, Cardinal Robert Sarah and its secretary, Archbishop Arthur Roche, says, "The priest addresses all those present and only once says the formula as it appears in the Roman Missal, applying it to all in general: 'Repent, and believe in the Gospel,' or 'Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.'"

"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 Priest takes the ashes and sprinkles them on the head of each one without saying anything."

Ash Wednesday fall on February 17 this year and as the number of Covid cases continue to climb worldwide, it is expected to look very different than previous years'.