The Archdiocese of Manila is determined to push through with religious gatherings during the Holy Week
In a pastoral instruction released by Bishop Broderick Pabillo for this year’s most important Eucharistic celebration, the archdiocese stated that even though religious activities outside churches will not be possible such as the Senakulo, Pabasa, processions, motorcades and the Visita Iglesia, public masses will continue in the cities of Manila, Pasay, Makati, Mandaluyong and San Juan, starting March 24.
Churches will accommodate up to 10 percent capacity and the bishop assured that the minimum standards and health protocols will be strictly observed.
“We follow the minimum standards of the health protocols but we continue to pray and worship the Lord… Let the worshippers be spread apart within our churches, using the health protocols that we have been so consistently implementing,” Pabillo assured.
But because the government through the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has earlier banned mass gatherings including public Masses in Metro Manila from March 22 to April 4, a period that covers Holy Week, the Palace made an appeal to the archdiocese to abide by the IATF rules.
“We ask Bishop Pabillo not to encourage, iyong disregard of IATF rules. Ito naman po ay para sa kabutihan ng lahat (We ask Bishop Pabillo not to encourage the disregard of IATF rules. This is for the good of all anyway). So we understand po that this is Holy Week, but a Christian myself, as a practicing Christian, I have a relationship with God. At kasama din po sa obligasyon ng estado ay sumunod din doon sa mga talaga ng Panginoon na mamuno (And part of our obligation to the state is to follow Church leaders). So, I hope the Bishop will not encourage noncompliance po with this IATF decision,” Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque urged on his briefing.
But if the Church decides or insists to defy the government ban, the Presidential Spokesperson warned the archdiocese that the law should be enforced.
“The defiance of IATF resolution is not covered by the separation of Church and State. What is covered is the freedom to believe and the freedom not to endorse a religion… That will be an enforcement of police power to protect the public good,” he clarified.
The archdiocese has yet to issue a formal response to the Palace’s pronouncement.
But in an official news item released by the Media Office of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan’s statement was stressed, criticizing the ban on religious gatherings during the “holiest time of the year” and said it “came as an instant order and with not even a modicum of dialogue”.
It reiterated that Bishop David was hoping that the government would at least allow a 20 to 30 percent capacity of churches following strict protocol during the celebration of the Holy Week this year. – Louisa Erispe
