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May 16, 2020 - World

Churches, mosques and temples livestream religious services

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In this image, Pope Francis stands and speaks in front of two cameras.

Pope Francis livestreams his Sunday Angelus blessing from his private library in Vatican City on May 10. Photo: Vatican Media/Vatican Pool via Getty Images

Churches, mosques and temples around the world — including the Vatican — are continuing to livestream religious services amid the coronavirus pandemic, AP reports.

Zoom in: In the U.S., some pastors in Maryland and Virginia are hesitant to reopen their doors as states begin to relax stay-at-home orders, per the Washington Post.

What's happening: Jerusalem's Western Wall, Japan's Todaiji Buddhist temple and Vaishno Devi, a revered Hindu shrine in India, are all live-streaming prayers, AP reports.

  • In Texas, the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research is uploading YouTube videos, per AP, drawing 20 million views over the last six weeks.

The other side: Churches in Italy and Spain — two European countries with some of the highest known coronavirus death tolls in the world — have reopened as the countries continue phased economic reopenings.

In this image, a group of women sit in pews in a church
Women pray in the church of San Policarpo in Rome's Tuscolano district on May 10. Photo: Stefano Montesi - Corbis/Getty Images
In this image, a priest wearing protective gear anoints the head of a church-goer
Priest Antonio Gomez gives the holy communion to worshippers at the San Miguel Basilica in Palma de Mallorca, Spain on May 11. Photo: Jaime Reina/AFP via Getty Images

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