MÁLAGA – The province of Málaga is cancelling all Semana Santa celebrations for this year. The Easter processions scheduled for Sunday, March 28 to Sunday, April 4, are cancelled for the second time.
This is a big setback for all the brotherhoods in the province. They often prepare months in advance for the processions where the brothers carry large, elaborately decorated floats with images of Jesus and Virgin Mary through the streets. The Bishop of Málaga, Jesús Catalá, offically cancelled the processions on 14th January.
Catalá is allowing the veneration of brotherhood images, both in the churches and in the brotherhood houses from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. The brotherhoods will take all security measures into account.
Seville, Cádiz and Granada cancel processions
Málaga is not the only province to cancel the Easter processions. On December 29, the Archbishop of Seville issued a decree to suspend Holy Week processions and external events in 2021 due to the coronavirus health crisis. The Archbishop of Granada followed suit the next day. He was in turn followed by the Bishop of Cádiz.
About the Easter processions
Each day during the Holy Week before Easter, the processions depict a scene from the agony of Christ. From his triumphal entry into Jerusalem through his burial and resurrection. Some brotherhoods even show a complete last supper on their float or ‘trono’. The brotherhood’s church or chapel is always the departure and end point of the procession. These solemn events give rise to some intense moments. When the trono takes its first step outside the church there is often fevered excitement and commotion.
