Forget the cancellation of the Easter Egg Roll at the White House.

Right now, many journalists need to focus, instead, on what the coronavirus crisis is about to do the Easter, Passover and Ramadan observances around the world. That’s the story, right now — even if we don’t know the precise details of that story, right now. There are really three options for what is ahead.

First, there is always the chance that something stunning could happen — some major breakthrough in COVID-19 treatments — that would let these tremendously important religious seasons proceed, if not in a normal manner, in a way that is something close to normal. Hardly anyone thinks this is possible.

Second, almost everything could be cancelled and we are left with a few “virtual” events, with religious leaders and skeleton crews doing versions of rites that end up being carried online or in major broadcasts.

But there is another option, one that host Todd Wilken and I discussed at length in this week’s “Crossroads” podcast (click here to tune that in). Most of our discussion focused on Holy Week and Easter, since these are the traditions that Wilken (a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod pastor) and I best understand.

What if religious leaders found some new way to downscale and “re-symbolize” the events of Holy Week in some way that specifically connected their messages to the astonishing times in which we are living right now? It’s also possible — let’s take the Vatican, for example — that testing may take a leap forward and make it possible for congregations (much smaller for sure) of priests and believers to gather who have tested negative or who have never shown any symptoms at all.

What if they took part in rites — perhaps outdoors — in which it was easier to keep people at a distance?

So why am I speculating about this? In part because of of this recent headline on a Crux report: “Vatican backtracks on Holy Week coronavirus statement; situation still ‘being studied’.” Perhaps you missed this development?

ROME — After a Vatican office announced … that all Holy Week liturgies would be livestreamed rather that celebrated publicly amid Italy’s coronavirus crackdown, a day later their communications department walked part of that back, saying the method for celebrating Holy Week is still being studied.

On March 14, the Prefecture for the Papal Household, the office in charge of organizing papal audiences and meetings with heads of state, published a statement on its website saying that “because of the current global public health emergency, all the Liturgical Celebrations of Holy Week will take place without the physical presence of the faithful.”

These liturgies include the April 5 celebration of Palm Sunday Mass; the pope’s Chrism Mass on Thursday of Holy Week; the Mass of the Lord’s Supper with the washing of feet on Thursday, Good Friday’s celebration of the Lord’s Passion and veneration of the Cross; Saturday’s Easter Vigil and Sunday Mass.

However, in a March 15 statement on the matter, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni seemed to reverse part of the prefecture’s statement, saying the pope’s liturgical celebrations during Holy Week “are all confirmed.”

Now what does this next bite of information mean”

Regarding the question of whether people will be able to attend the celebrations, Bruni did not offer a definitive answer, but simply said that “methods of implementation and participation are being studied which respect the security measures put in place to avoid the spread of coronavirus.”

Here is what made me think about this. Did you see the story the other day about Pope Francis taking advantage of the nearly empty streets of Rome to do a dramatic prayer walk in the city?

Here’s the New York Times headline on a Reuters report: “Pope in Dramatic Visit to Empty Rome to Pray for End of Virus.” The overture stated:

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis ventured into a deserted Rome on Sunday to pray at two shrines for the end of the coronavirus pandemic, as the Vatican said his Easter services will be held without the public for the first time.

Francis left the Vatican unannounced to pray at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and then walked along one of Rome's main streets to visit St. Marcello church to pray before a crucifix that was used in a procession when the plague hit Rome in 1522.

Picture that. Then, let’s put this concept in the context of New York City.

A short flashback: Imagine if Cardinal Timothy Dolan — in place of the highly politicized St. Patrick’s Day Parade — had led an actual liturgical procession behind a large icon of St. Patrick through the almost empty streets around St. Patrick’s Cathedral. A few chanters could have sung the lovely and dramatic Breastplate of St. Patrick, a prayer that is an appeal for divine protection. Here is a section of that famous prayer:

I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

Could you imagine a Good Friday rite of the Stations of the Cross, visiting symbolic locations in Rome — taking advantage of the empty streets? What could be done with the rite of foot-washing, in this unique and trouble year?

Once again, there are key parts of Holy Week that can take place outdoors. This is especially true in Eastern Orthodoxy. It’s possible that some form of these processions and rites could take place outdoors in ways that people would not be crowded together.

Clearly, Vatican leaders are rethinking this situation. Will they dare to create rites that are both old and new?

One more thing: All of these questions, all of these possibilities, all of these potential stories will unfold in every city and town in the world.

The decisions will look different in a giant Protestant megachurch — where Easter pageants and concerts will either be cancelled or, somehow, redesigned — than in a high-church cathedral. But with better testing and intense attention to fevers, some flocks may attempt some limited observances of the most important days of worship on the Christian calendar.

I saw an online discussion, the other day, asking if Orthodox believers could follow Pascha rites (on smartphones and tablets) inside their cars in the church parking lots and then enter the sanctuary one person or one family at a time to receive Holy Communion and have the priest bless their festive baskets of meat and cheese (to break the long fast of Great Lent, when they have been vegans). That would not work with a giant church, perhaps, but some normal-sized flocks could pull it off.

Here’s another question: How will the faithful in the ancient churches — East and West — make their confessions during Great Lent? We are already seeing some Roman Catholic priests hearing confessions, at a safe distance, in the privacy of large parking lots.

What will happen in the weeks ahead? We do not know. Events have unfolded at such a rapid pace that each week can feel like a year.

But Holy Week, Easter, Passover and Ramadan are coming. These seasons are too important to simply vanish. There will be stories there and some of them might be unique and poignant.

Enjoy the podcast.