The world is now several months into the global COVID-19 pandemic and many of us are now starting to fully realize the effects that this will continue to have on nearly every aspect of life. Though economies and societies are starting to relax restrictions and stay-at-home orders, there are still many changes that will remain permanent for months to come. We are all looking for comfort and something familiar during these difficult times, and religion (whether organized or individual) offers this to billions of people around the world. Most all religion is inherently communal, which is obviously a big problem when communities cannot come together. Not all religious groups and organizations are adhering to the recommendations of health experts to social distance and limit large gatherings, but many are finding ways to adjust their spiritual offerings. On this edition, we’ll take a look at several changes that major religions have made in adapting to life in the time of Coronavirus.
Online Services & Distance Holidays
As many of our readers are probably already experiencing, most organized religious groups have adapted to Coronavirus by going online with their regularly scheduled worship services. But there are other creative methods some religious communities are using to help people keep the faith. For instance, some rural congregations are experimenting with drive-in style services. The Christian ritual of communion is being reconsidered as well. While Pope Francis has emphasized “spiritual communion” over the physical act of consuming bread and wine, some Protestant organizations have organized drive-through or delivery of communion.
Christians around the world already experienced distance services for Easter, now Muslims are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan with live-stream services as well. One of the most important parts of Ramadan is the daily celebration of the end of each day’s fasting. During the Iftar meal, families and friends are strongly encouraged to gather at houses and mosques to pray and eat. Now, communities are setting up massive virtual Iftar feasts via Zoom to help Muslims maintain their sense of community.
Restrictions on Major Holy Sites
Pilgrimage to holy sites is often considered a founding tenant of many religions, and Covid has made this requirement all but impossible for most religious followers to complete. In Judaism, praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem is one of the highest acts of faith. But Israel has since begun requiring social distancing measures around the holy site and workers can often be seen sanitizing the stones of the wall itself. In Rome, areas around the Vatican have been completely closed off to tourists as Italy has finally started to curb one of the most dramatic outbreaks anywhere in the world. Many Hindu temples have also closed down in light of India’s very strict lock down requirements which have been in place since March.
But the Coronavirus is also about to disrupt one of the largest annual religious migrations in the world. The Muslim hajj pilgrimage occurs during a specific time in the year (set for late July this year) and routinely draws nearly 2.5 million people to the cities of Mecca and Medina. The event is notorious for its massive crowds and the occasional deadly stampede. This year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has already suspended the Umrah (when a pilgrimage is performed outside of the hajj calendar dates), but is also considering suspending the entire hajj itself. This move would not be entirely unprecedented however, as previous public health concerns throughout history have sometimes prompted the cancellation of the hajj. As one of the five pillars of Islam, the hajj is difficult for most Muslims to complete even during the best of times as it is only considered valid during a few days out of the year.
Health officials in Israel sanitizing the Western Wall.
Global Missions & Social Services
Religious organizations and affiliated non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been engaged in social services and missionary outreach for centuries. Now, the usual emphasis on poverty reduction, hunger mitigation, and general public health promotion has been kicked into overdrive as Covid threatens to impact refugee camps and impoverished regions around the world. Religious organizations such as the Catholic Sisters Worldwide have partnered with non-religious NGOs such as Alight in the Twin Cities to release a major messaging campaign aimed at educating millions about the virus. Efforts like these provide health messaging, sanitation, and social distancing guidelines in dozens of languages. They are also working in combination with other relief efforts to give impoverished communities and refugee camps a fighting chance at preventing and containing the spread of the virus.
While these efforts have ramped up all over the world, other missionary services have been pulled back. The Mormon Church is known for sending missionaries all over the world, but has recently recalled nearly all of its active missions to help protect its members and prevent outbreaks. This follows similar trends for other organized religions which engage in active and far-reaching missionary services. Understandably, most people are not welcoming of strangers showing up on their doorstep these days.
Examples of educational posters translated into dozens of languages.
Overall, the changes being adopted by religions around the world are similar to those we are all experiencing. These include moving to online gatherings, social distancing, and performing activities at home whenever possible. Religion has always adapted to fill the needs of people no matter the difficulty of the circumstance. Unfortunately some religious groups have disregarded public health warnings and continue to spark localized outbreaks. One of the biggest examples of this was a secret church in South Korea which spawned a major outbreak there in March. But most have adapted and continue to understand that prayer alone cannot stop the virus. As the Dali Lama recently put it, "The outbreak of this terrible Coronavirus has shown that what happens to one person can soon affect every other being. But it also reminds us that a compassionate or constructive act – whether working in hospitals or just observing social distancing – has the potential to help many."