Christmas services in the pandemic
There are such alternatives
Pope Francis donates the Christmas blessing.
© imago / ULMER press picture agency
Christmas is once again under the sign of the pandemic. Those who shy away from going to church can watch services on TV or via stream.
For many people, the church service is part of the regular program at Christmas. But even at the end of 2021, the corona pandemic is not over. If you are afraid of infection, you prefer to stay at home. As an alternative, interested parties can watch church services via stream, radio or TV program.
The Evangelical Church in Germany has listed offers on “ekd.de”, such as how believers can follow church services via radio, television, live stream and social media. There, for example, reference is made to the station rbb, which broadcasts the ecumenical Christmas Vespers in the Holy Family Church in Berlin on Christmas Eve (3:00 p.m.). At 4:15 p.m., the first broadcasts the Protestant Christmas vespers from St. Anne’s Church in Annaberg-Buchholz, and at 7:15 p.m. ZDF broadcasts the service from the Johanneskirche in Stuttgart. There will be a Catholic Christmas mass from St. Maria in Landau on December 24th. for example, on the first at 6:30 p.m.
Pope Francis on TV
On Christmas Day in the morning (10:45 a.m.), ZDF will broadcast the Catholic Christmas service from Kiliansdom in Würzburg. In the BR there will be the Protestant Christmas service from the Matthäuskirche in Munich from 10:00 a.m. A highlight on December 25th. can be seen at 12 noon on TV (ZDF): “Urbi et Orbi”, the blessing of Pope Francis, can also be seen again on TV.
Church services and “other Christmas highlights” are also offered by Bible TV. On the website there is also an overview of where you can take part in church services live online. Many smaller congregations also offer their believers streaming options for their own church services. The best thing to do is to visit the respective homepage of your community or ask there directly.