"To me it seems full because I know people are watching at home," the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Carlos Osoro told Reuters. "When I celebrate mass, I am not alone."
The Madrid archdiocese has its own YouTube channel, where on Sunday it broadcast mass to the faithful who could not attend in person, drawing more than 5,000 views.
Osoro canceled all services in the capital on Saturday, the same day Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a range of measures aimed at tackling the spread of coronavirus.
Spain, the second-worst affected European country after Italy, on Saturday ordered its 47 million citizens to stay indoors except for necessary outings such as buying food and medicine. Social gatherings are banned.
Some of the first restrictions on worshippers in early March included being told not to kiss religious statues, but these were ramped up in recent days with the cancelation of masses across Spain. The cancellation of Easter parades that draw millions of spectators is a blow to Spain's tourism industry.