Communion of The Saints and The Virtual Space; The Impact of The Pandemic on Ecclesial Communion in The Catholic Church.

Abstract

The liturgical nature of the Catholic Church emphasises the gathering of God’s people for public worship. Covid-19 restrictions on public events resulted in a shift to online worship. The effect of moving to the virtual space has challenged the Church to embrace a new type of gathering online. The move from physical to virtual worship has consequences for both participation and identity. The pandemic’s long-term impact is still unknown. Already it has changed both membership prayer and practices.