(12 Aug 2020) LEAD IN:
A religious festival in Bosnia which previously attracted tens of thousands of people has seen the number of pilgrims slump in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
But worshippers who have travelled for the event don't appear to be following restrictions introduced to stop the spread of the virus.
STORY-LINE:
Medjugorje is celebrating one of its biggest festivals: the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.
Normally tens of thousands of Catholic pilgrims would pour into this small town in south Bosnia to visit a shrine to the mother of Christ who is said to has appeared here in 1981.
There is a nine day period leading up to the feast known as the Assumption Novena where pilgrims traditionally practise public or private prayer.
The Assumption of Mary takes place 15 August, but this year,just a thousand people are taking part in daily religious rituals ahead of Saturday.
The coronavirus is keeping many away.
"The feeling (of calm one has in Medjugorje) cannot be described to someone who hasn't experienced it. To understand it, you must experience it," says Kata Sakic, a pilgrim from Vitez.
The church authorities have decided that all masses will be said outside.
Those who have made the journey here do not appear to be following virus restrictions introduced to stem the tide of infections.
The Bosnian government has mandated wearing masks in public and has said no more than 100 people should meet in groups outside.
But there are hardly any masks to be seen among the pilgrims, and they sit close together on church benches, ignoring social distancing protocols.
The majority of pilgrims have come from within Bosnia, but expats have also returned to celebrate the holiday with friends and family.
"We live in Germany but for the Feast of the Assumption of Mary our family gathers (in Bosnia). For us it is a family holiday, one of the most important Catholic holidays," says expat Tomo Budimir.
The shrine in Medjugorje marks where six local youths first reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the 80s.
The Catholic Church hasn't yet authenticated the vision, but the small town has for decades been a year-round destination for Catholic pilgrims from around the world, drawing millions of faithful a year.
The number of coronavirus cases in Bosnia has been rising over the past weeks along with concerns that the country risks being faced with overfilled and understaffed hospitals.
So far, the country of 3.5 million people has tallied close to 14,500 virus cases, with nearly 450 deaths.
Around 80 percent of all virus cases were registered since mid-May, when a strict, nearly two-month-long, coronavirus lockdown was lifted.
Despite the mounting number of infections, people in Bosnia are increasingly bending or ignoring social distancing rules and ditching face masks.
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