The Church of England has begun one of the most important weeks in the Christian calendar with a virtual Palm Sunday service organised to limit social contact during the UK’s coronavirus outbreak.

Churches across the country are broadcasting services digitally in the lead-up to Easter, with more than 1,000 livestreams taking place on a regular basis, after the country was placed under lockdown in March.

The Palm Sunday service, led by the Bishop of Manchester, was the third to be broadcast on national Church of England channels since public worship in church buildings was suspended following government guidance on social distancing.

A national service broadcast by the Archbishop of Canterbury last week, which also featured on BBC Radio 4 and local radio stations, attracted about five million listeners and viewers.

On Sunday, the Bishop of Manchester marked the start of Holy Week and Easter with a sermon from his home in Salford and spoke of the support and comfort being drawn from campaigns such as the “Clap For Carers” to thank NHS workers.

“In this time of social, or more accurately physical, distancing, the ways in which we can come together matter even more,” David Walker, the bishop, said.

“It wasn't only our health workers who took strength from that recent evening when so many emerged from their front doors to offer a round of applause.

“Each might only have been able to see or hear at most a handful of others, but everyone knew that this was something huge - a mighty crowd.”

At York Minster, worship and prayers for Holy Week and Easter will be entirely digital for the first time in the cathedral's 800-year history and a new series of audio mini-services will be released to mark important days throughout the week, with readings, prayers and a special video message from the Dean of York.

Pope Francis prays as he celebrates Palm Sunday Mass behind closed doors (AP)

Palm Sunday is the start of the most solemn week of the Christian calendar, when events leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ are commemorated.

In Vatican City, Pope Francis celebrated Palm Sunday Mass in the shelter of St Peter’s Basilica without the public due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while parish priests in Rome took to church rooftops and bell towers to lead services.

Tens of thousands of Romans, tourists and pilgrims normally attend an outdoor Mass led by the pontiff, clutching olive tree branches or palm fronds.

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Meanwhile in Jerusalem, Francisian friars wearing surgical masks and gloves made house calls delivering olive branches to Christians who are self-isolating as a precaution against Covid-19.

“Today everything is empty and silent and it's very odd, it's very sad,” said Acting Latin Patriarch Of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who presided over the Palm Sunday ceremony.