Answer questions
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Despite Corona: For many people, going to church is one of them on Christmas Eve. The communities want to make this possible. And Radio Bremen is actively involved.
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Image: DPA | Hauke-Christian Dittrich
Keeping your distance also applies to Christmas this year. Anyone who wants to attend a traditional church service despite the pandemic must decide early on or switch to one of the alternatives. The offerings of the churches in Bremen and Bremerhaven is diverse – an overview.
- Can people from Bremen attend a Christmas service in their churches?
- In the largest Catholic church, the Propsteikirche St. Johann im Schnoor, up to 500 visitors usually take part in the Christmas service on December 24th. Many other churches are also fully occupied on Christmas Eve. This year, the number of visitors has to be significantly limited due to Corona: Clearances must be maintained indoors and outdoors, mask must be worn when singing. In the provost church, for example, only 80 people will be allowed to attend the service.
The situation is similar in other congregations: in some smaller churches, a maximum of 30 people can participate at the same time.
- What are the offers in Bremerhaven?
- The Great Church in Bremerhaven offers three services on Christmas Eve. As in most churches, however, the following applies: Only those who have registered in advance are allowed to participate.
The Emmaus congregation is planning “continuous church services” for Christmas Eve. A non-stop program with readings of the Christmas story is planned between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., which will restart every 15 minutes. Visitors should come into the church on one side and go out on the other side. In between, they experience Christmas music as well as a view of the crib and the festively decorated Christmas tree. There is also time for personal prayer. The Emmaus congregation wants to show a recorded Christmas service on the Internet throughout the day, accompanied by a live chat at 12 noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- What alternatives are there besides the traditional church services?
- If it is too tight in the church while observing the distance rules, then you have to go outside. Several parishes in Bremen drive their own buses through the city districts and hold prayers at selected locations. Information is available on the website of the Evangelical Bremen Church.
The Protestant and Catholic Church invites you to short open-air services on the market square in downtown Bremen on the afternoon of December 24th. In the ecumenical “outdoor church service”, the birth of Christ is to be celebrated together with Christmas music. But even for this, visitors have to register in advance, and according to the Bremen church office, many of the ecumenical offers are already booked out. It is recommended that you contact the congregation or church directly beforehand.
- How do you register for church services in Bremen and Bremerhaven?
- The municipalities use different procedures for this. In order to give everyone the same chance to participate, the St. Petri Cathedral in Bremen decided on a lottery procedure. After registration, the places for the open-air church services are to be allocated.
The parish of St. Raphael in the east of Bremen also relies on the lottery for its churches. “The reactions to the lottery procedure are basically positive,” says Marc Weber, pastor of the St. Raphael parish, “there have been no complaints. Rather, we have seen a positive response.”
Registration or information on church services and possible alternatives is available on the Internet at the respective parishes and summarized on the websites of the Bremen Evangelical Church and the Bremerhaven Church District.
- Can visitors be sure that the churches are complying with the regulations? How is that implemented?
- Yes you can. All churches and parishes that would like to offer Christmas services this year are obliged to comply with the currently applicable regulations. “The maximum number of participants is currently 100 people. For more than 100 people, the parishes must submit an application,” said the press spokeswoman for the Evangelical Bremen Church.
Whether inside or outside: The distance of 1.50 meters must be observed. Singing in the open air is still allowed with a mask. “In any case, there must be a hygiene concept. The contacts must also be traceable outside.”
- Will church services be broadcast on the internet again at Christmas?
- Yes, there are several offers, most of which can also be found on the service page of the Bremen Evangelical Church.
Bremen Zwei broadcasts a radio service on Christmas Eve from 5 to 6 p.m. from the Church of Our Lady. And Radio Bremen brings you the mass from St. Petri Cathedral home: You can watch the service in the video from 2 p.m. on December 24, including here and on the buten un inside home page. At 6:45 p.m. also on buten-un-inside television.
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This topic in the program:
Bremen Eins, Der Tag, December 17, 2020, 11:30 p.m.
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