The guy stood in front of the Christ the Redeemer statue in a mixture of hazardous materials, gloves, respirator and glasses, two infants dressed in mask bowed their heads solemnly, more than a dozen full-man clothes has stopped disinfecting the popular tourist overlooking the rooftops and beaches of Rio de Janeiro.
The only clues that the guy, a Catholic priest from Roguy, who led the infantrymen in prayer, were the gesture of the width of his arm, which reflected that of the iconic statue on the most sensitive hill, and the pale yellow liturgical stole that covered his private protective apparatus.From head to toe.
This is what religion looks like in the summer of COVID-19, or winter, of course, in Rio and other parts of the southern hemisphere, in scenes captured this month by Associated Press photographers from around the world, devoted services, sacred ceremonies and holidays.The celebrations took place with others seeking to protect themselves and everyone else amid a relentless pandemic.
People wore masks assiduously when visiting a newly changed Istanbul church; while in a rite to open a Hindu temple in Jammu, India; while floating paper lanterns along the Motoyasu River in Japan to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima; slowly advancing on pilgrimage in front of a Greek Orthodox island church for the supper of the Assumption; to a procession marking “Gai Jatra”, or cow festival, in Nepal.
In London, Rabbi David Mason led an online Sunday prayer service in the outdoor parking lot of his synagogue with just a few pairs of remote folding chairs made to be delivered to the worshipers – maximum seen from home through live video, as they had. for months before strict closure.
Social estrangement is also the norm on Tel Aviv’s beaches, as Israeli Arab families enjoyed a day outdoors while watching the Eid al-Adha of Islam, a holiday commemorating the prophet Ibrahim’s obedience to God for agreeing to sacrifice his son.
In Beyrouth, other people are recovering from a double blow, not only from the pandemic, but also from the August 4 port explosion that shattered windows, businesses and lives. One recent night, Mohammed Moussa knelt in the frame of a bed and pressed his forehead against the floor in prayer, surrounded by recovered goods and debris from his ruined house.It is an emblematic symbol of the struggles of its people and the way in which some depend on religion in these difficult times.
These and others are among the maximum photographs of the AP in August.
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