Cristina Hodgson
SEVILLA has officially suspended the celebration of its Holy Week in 2021 for the second consecutive year due to the pandemic.
The Archbishop of Sevilla, Monsignor Juan José Asenjo, has signed a decree suspending all processions in Sevilla during Easter Week 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The decree was signed on Monday and states that all events and celebrations organised by parishes, brotherhoods and confraternities or other ecclesiastical groups in which public space is used, are suspended.
Complete decree of the Archbishopric:
The news comes following the announcement of the cancellation of Sevilla’s iconic April Feria.
Juan Espadas, Mayor of Sevilla, informed on December 17 that the fair was cancelled as the ‘necessary circumstances’ to ‘guarantee the health and safety of the citizens for its celebration would not be met’.
It’s believed that by April only 30% of the population will be immunised against COVID-19, ‘far’ from the immunity numbers necessary to permit for the congregation of large numbers of people in public spaces.
Meanwhile both Malaga and Cordoba have announced they will wait until the end of the Christmas holidays before they reassess and an official decision is taken in regards to Semana Santa.
The Malaga Association of Brotherhoods, with the approval of the bishopric of Malaga have said “Once Christmas is over, a meeting is planned with representatives of the Junta to deal with this issue, and take a decision at the appropriate time.”
Likewise, the Mayor of Cordoba, Jose Maria Bellido, and the Bishop of the Diocese of Cordoba, Demetrio Fernandez, have announced that they will wait until January 13 to make a decision.
