CNA Staff, May 6, 2020 / 11:15 am
Installation Masses typically see cathedrals filled to the brim with members of the Catholic faithful, with hundreds of priests attending.
But the installation of Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer as head of the Archdiocese of Atlanta on Wednesday took place in a nearly-empty church.
Just a handful of priests and bishops concelebrated the Mass, their seats spaced out to follow social distancing guidelines as the coronavirus pandemic continues to prevent large gatherings of people. Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, delivered a greeting and read the papal bull with Hartmayer's appointment via video rather than in person.
Maureen Smith, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said it was a challenge to maintain the tradition of the installation Mass without many of the normal people who be present, according to the Associated Press.