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AP PHOTOS: Romanian port city marks Easter late due to virus

CONSTANTA, Romania (AP) - Stretching the church calendar, Orthodox Easter arrived over a month late in a Romanian city on the shores of the Black Sea.

Wanting to give worshippers the opportunity to take part in what is considered to be the most important Christian celebration, Romanian Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie held an unprecedented Easter service Tuesday night that continued into the early hours of Wednesday.

This year, the service was originally supposed to have been held on April 19, but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The rescheduled event, which was frowned upon by the leaders of Romania's Orthodox Church, the country's dominant faith, was attended by hundreds of people.

'œThis heals the wounds that people had during the Easter days, when they stayed far and yearned for the church and for the light of the resurrection,'ť Archbishop Teodosie said during the service. 'œWe are all happy. This is how the religious service looks like in every church. Christ is risen.'ť

The great majority of worshippers used masks to cover their faces, though Archbishop Teodosie and many of the service's other celebrants did not.

Some people traveled to the service, held outside the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, from as far away as Romanian capital Bucharest, about 225 kilometers (140 miles) to the west.

'œI came from Bucharest after a hard day of work, hundreds of kilometers, and I don't regret this at all,'ť Lidia Seceleanu said. 'œIt's a special moment, a spiritual moment, wonderful.'ť

The worshippers were spread around an open archaeological site outside the cathedral, which includes some ruins dating as far back as the Roman Empire.

While the service wasn't banned, leaders of Romania's Orthodox Church called Archbishop Teodosie's decision to go ahead with it 'œunilateral.'ť

Easter commemorations were also held late Tuesday night by the Greek Orthodox churches in Greece and Cyprus, but those services were part of their regular liturgical calendars, not extraordinary events like the service in Constanta.

Still, the coronavirus pandemic gave them a special meaning.

'œIt will have a greater symbolic dimension this year, because Easter was to a certain degree muted as the faithful weren't able to participate'ť in the church services, said Haris Konidaris, the spokesman for the Archdiocese of Athens.

Some churches in Cyprus also held four-hour vigils to offer a 'œheightened sense of Easter.'ť

___

Follow AP coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

An orthodox worshiper, with an eye protection shield around her mouth for protection against the COVID-19 virus, attends a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, late Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
Priests distribute holy light to orthodox worshipers, a few wearing masks for protection against the COVID-19 virus, during a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, Wednesday, May 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
An orthodox worshiper, wearing a mask for protection against the COVID-19 virus, holds a candle while sitting in an open archaeological site outside the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, which includes ruins dating as far back as the Roman Empire, during a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Romanian Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie rescheduled the Orthodox Easter service, which was to be held in mid-April, to offer worshippers an opportunity to celebrate Easter properly after the cancelling of the original April 19 service due to the national lockdown imposed because of the coronavirus epidemic. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
An orthodox worshiper sings during a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, shortly before midnight on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. Romanian Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie rescheduled the Orthodox Easter service, which was to be held in mid-April, to offer worshippers an opportunity to celebrate Easter properly after the cancelling of the original April 19 service due to the national lockdown imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
Orthodox worshipers, a few wearing masks for protection against the COVID-19 virus, attend a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Wanting to give worshippers the opportunity to take part in what is considered to be the most important Christian celebration, Romanian Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie held an unprecedented Easter service Tuesday night that continued into the early hours of Wednesday. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie prepares to distribute holy light during a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, shortly before midnight on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
A woman holds a candle after receiving the holy light during a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, Wednesday, May 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie blesses crowds during a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, shortly before midnight on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie rescheduled the Orthodox Easter service, which was to be held in mid-April, to offer worshippers an opportunity to celebrate Easter properly after the cancelling of the original April 19 service due to the national lockdown imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
An orthodox worshiper, wearing a mask for protection against the COVID-19 virus, exits the church after a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, late Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie distributes holy light during a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, shortly before midnight on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. Wanting to give worshippers the opportunity to take part in what is considered to be the most important Christian celebration, Romanian Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie held an unprecedented Easter service Tuesday night that continued into the early hours of Wednesday. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie prepares to distribute holy light during a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, shortly before midnight on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
An orthodox worshiper kneels during a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, late Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
Orthodox worshipers, a few wearing masks for protection against the COVID-19 virus, are spread around an open archaeological site outside the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, which includes ruins dating as far back as the Roman Empire, during a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, Wednesday, May 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
Orthodox worshipers, wearing masks for protection against the COVID-19 virus, wait for a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, late Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
Romanian Orthodox Archbishop Teodosie holds a candle as orthodox worshipers, a few wearing masks for protection against the COVID-19 virus, stand around the remains of buildings, the oldest from the sixth century BC, during a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Archbishop Teodosie rescheduled the Orthodox Easter service, which was to be held in mid-April, to offer worshippers an opportunity to celebrate Easter properly after the cancelling of the original April 19 service due to the national lockdown imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
Orthodox worshipers, wearing masks for protection against the COVID-19 infections, wait for a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, late Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
Orthodox worshipers, wearing masks for protection against the COVID-19 virus, wait for a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, late Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
An orthodox worshiper kneels during a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, late Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
Orthodox worshipers, some wearing masks for protection against the COVID-19 virus, wait for a religious service in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, late Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Associated Press
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