How to stream Easter 2021 church services - Pope Francis live today plus TV and Radio schedule
With people still not able to get into churches for Easter celebrations, we've broken down where you can join in with a service or Mass to celebrate Eastertide this year as well as all the TV and Radio services and programming.
Easter celebrations are looking a little better than last year when we were all locked down (or is that in?), but with a lot of churches still not open or running at full capacity yet you may be wondering how to mark the end of Lent.
Easter is celebrated globally by Christians, but people of all denominations, from Catholics to CoE may be wondering where to watch a service online.
While your nearest church should have services running in person, most will ask you to book, but don't worry if you are looking to join a service you can still do so online.
Churches have been live streaming Mass, music, worship and prayer over the past 12 months and Easter is no different.
Pope Francis' Holy Week schedule has been published and many of the famous churches have posted their Holy Week timetable too.
This Easter Sunday the first step is to check your local church's website for services and see if they have an option to attend or watch virtually, but if you want to stay home and join a larger service - like the Vatican's - then read on as we look at the famous churches and services you can watch this weekend.
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How to watch and stream Easter Mass or service
You can check several places for an Easter services this year. The Church of England will live stream from their website from 9am on Easter Sunday, there's also the option on Facebook, YouTube or radio. You can tune into local radio at 8am, Radio 4 8.10am and BBC One at 10am. To find your local church live streaming a CoE service check here.
For Catholic Mass read on for the Pope's Holy Week schedule of services.
On TV there's also Britain's Easter Story on BBC Two at 1pm on Good Friday and the biblical epic King of Kings at 2pm on the same channel.
Handel's Messiah from English National Opera is on at 6pm on Easter Sunday on BBC Two before Easter from King's at 7pm on the same channel. The service involves readings and music for Holy Week with the Choristers at King's College Cambridge. On BBC One you can also see Pope Francis deliver his Urbi et Orbi message from Rome live at 11am, that's his Easter Message and Blessing, which will be followed by a Songs of Praise with Katherine Jenkins celebrating Easter Sunday from Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff at 1.15pm.
What time are the Pope's Easter services?
You can take part in the Easter Mass (and services around Eastertide) at the Vatican from home. Pope Francis will celebrate Mass on Sunday, 4th April at 11am, 5am EST and 10am UK time.
Watch the Mass on the Vatican website or the Vatican Media YouTube Channel.
Maundy Thursday, 1st April
Chrism Mass - 10am
Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, Thursday 1st April - 6pm
Good Friday, 2nd April
Celebration of the Passion of the Lord - 6pm
Way of the Cross - 9pm
Easter Saturday Vigil, 3rd April
Vigil service for Holy Saturday - 7.30pm
Easter Sunday
Easter Morning Mass - 10am
Urbi et Orbi - 11am (on BBC One)
St Paul's Cathedral Easter Services and times
The Cathedral has a list of its Holy Week and Easter services - plus when you can watch them - on its Easter services page.
Maundy Thursday, 1st April
Chrism Eucharist - 10.30am
Maundy Thursday Liturgy - 5pm
Good Friday, 2nd April
Good Friday Liturgy - 5pm in the Cathedral
Pre-recorded Good Friday services will be available from midday and 2.30pm.
Easter Saturday, 3rd April
Holy Saturday the Cathedral is open from midday to end of the Vigil - about 7.15pm.
Easter Sunday, 4th April
Easter Day service will be livestreamed at 11.15am, and be shared to the Holy Week page.
Westminster Cathedral Easter Masses and times
You can livestream all the services below at the Westminster Cathedral website.
Maundy Thursday, 1st April
Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper - 6pm
Good Friday, 2nd April
Good Friday Liturgy of the Passion 1 - 10am
Good Friday Liturgy of the Passion 2 - 12pm
Good Friday Liturgy of the Passion 3 - 3pm
Stations of the Cross - 6pm
Easter Saturday
Holy Saturday Office of Readings - 10am
The Easter Vigil - 8.30pm
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday Mass - 12pm
Easter Sunday Solemn Vespers and Benediction - 4pm
Easter Sunday Evening Mass - 5.30pm
- For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.
What Easter services and programmes are on radio?
Good Friday message, BBC Local Radio, 7am
Coverage on BBC Local Radio begins on Good Friday too with Cardinal Vincent Nichols leading a service featuring prayers, hymns and readings from 7am. There will be more content on BBC Scotland, BBC Wales and BBC Northern Ieland.
At The Foot Of The Cross, BBC Radio 2, 7-9pm
Over on BBC Radio 2 on Good Friday Dan Walker presents an evening of poetry and music from 7-9pm called At The Foot Of The Cross. Artists including Newton Faulkner and The Kingdom Choir join the BBC Philharmonic for one night only, creating brand new recordings. West End star Marisha Wallace speaks about the hope brought by her recording of Tomorrow, and MOBO Award Winner, Called Out Music, performs his own tracks recorded at his home studio, plus performances from the BBC Young Chorister of the Year, Alexander, and BBC Young Chorister finalists, Josie and Leah.
Good Friday Afternoon on Radio 3, 2-5pm
In the 60th anniversary year of the consecration of Guildford Cathedral, another chance to hear Barry Rose conducting Stainer’s Crucifixion, recorded in Guildford Cathedral on 25 March 2018.
Radio 3 in Concert: Music For Good Friday, 7.30pm
The BBC Singers and BBC Concert Orchestra performing the traditional Good Friday concert live on BBC Radio 3. The programme includes choral music by Dobrinka Tabakova, Composer in Residence with the BBC CO, and Roderick Williams; and the Orchestra play music by influential American composer Judith Lang Zaimont and Joseph Haydn. The climax of the concert is a recent re-orchestration by Jonathan Rathbone of Vaughan Williams' Dona nobis pacem, which uses texts from the Mass, the Bible and poems by Walt Whitman.
Private Passions: Sister Teresa Keswick, Easter Sunday, Radio 3, 12pm-1pm
Sister Teresa Keswick, a former London lawyer who became an enclosed nun, shares her life story and the music she loves with Michael Berkeley in a special programme for Easter Day.
Good Friday meditation, Radio 4, 3-30pm
There's the Good Friday meditation on Radio 4 with Neil MacGregor and the Revd Lucy Winkett contemplating one of Rembrandt's masterpieces Ecce Homo.
Sunrise Service, Radio 4, 6.35am-7am
An Easter morning celebration of Christ’s resurrection, exploring the themes of transformation and restoring hope. With a reading from the gospel of John describing the moment when Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. Led by Arianna Walker and Debbie Harvie from Mercy UK, a Christian charity that helps women. With uplifting hymns and worship music including Morning Has Broken and Lord I Lift Your Name On High from Voices Beyond gospel choir.
Easter Sunday Worship, Radio 4, 8.10am-9am
Tune in to Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Revered Justin Welby on BBC Radio 4 as he shares his Easter message live from Canterbury Cathedral. A celebration of the Eucharist with the Archbishop of Canterbury's Easter Message. Easter Songs, hymns and anthems ringing in the joy of Easter.
For more timings and what to watch take a look at our our TV Guide.
