In light of the Holy Week and the COVID-19 cases spike in the country, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced Sunday that starting March 29, all religious activities to mark the passion and death of Jesus Christ will be done online.
“It’s a lockdown. People are not allowed to go out. Cases are in the upswing. Therefore, Holy Week celebrations in the bubble (NCR and four provinces) will be done online just like last year,” said Fr Jerome Secillano, CBCP Permanent Committee on Public Affairs executive secretary in a report by The Manila Times.
Secillano said the Church leadership will fully cooperate with the government.
Metro Manila and the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, and Rizal will be under a stringent lockdown from Holy Monday, March 29, until Easter Sunday, April 4, to curb the alarming rate of COVID-19 spread in the country.
“The Church will heed the call of the government. Of particular importance here is the safety of everyone. There is no reason for thr Church not to cooperate especially since the COVID-19 situation has already gone to the extreme,” Secillano added.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque earlier announced that the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) will affect throughout the Holy Week.
“Pinagbabawal po nation ang lahat ng mass gatherings, pati po yung pinayagan nating simba bawal na po muli (all types of mass gathering are once again prohibited, including physical church visit),” Roque said in a press briefing on Saturday, March 27.
Meanwhile, weddings, baptisms, and funeral services remain allowed, with strict maximum attendees of ten immediate household members.
As you can recall, the government imposed ECQ in NCR and surrounding areas from mid-March to mid-May last year, ordering non-essential workers at home to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The Philippines reported 9,475 new COVID-19 cases, rising the nationwide count on Sunday, March 28, with 105,568 active cases.
—(Source: CBCP News)
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