Church

The many people’s “heroic service and sacrifice” are concrete signs of the Easter spirit in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, Catholic bishops said.

In his Easter message, Archbishop Romulo Valles, president of the bishops’ conference, particularly honored medical workers tending to patients while risking their lives.

“Together, seeing the countless acts of sacrifice and service, acts of kindness and compassion, we begin to see that the spirit of Easter is still very much alive in our hearts,” Valles said.

VATICAN— Pope Francis recalled the priests who have lost their lives during the coronavirus crisis as he offered the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in a nearly empty St. Peter’s Basilica.

“I cannot allow this Mass to pass by without mentioning the priests,” Pope Francis said in his homily on April 9.

“Today all of you brother priests, you are with me on the altar,” the pope said on Holy Thursday.

Pope Francis explained that he wanted to be close to all the world’s priests at this time, recalling clergy who have recently died of COVID-19.

Instead of ‘binge-watching’ Netlfix or television, a bishop urged Catholics to use their time at home to reconnect with God.

Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga said the faithful should take the quarantine period as an opportunity to know God more deeply by reading the Bible.

He said the people, especially the youth, should also lessen their time on Netflix by reading other spiritual books.

“Having too much free time these days will enable us to give so much time to God…instead of binge-watching your favorite shows on television or Netflix,” he said.

As he echoed the call for “physical distancing” to slow the spread of coronavirus, a Vatican official said the practice should not eliminate “community caring”.

Speaking during Mass for the Feast of the Annunciation on Wednesday, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle said that the pandemic calls for compassion.

“I know we need physical distancing and that is needed and we are appealing to everyone to observe it where possible,” Tagle said in his homily at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome.

In solidarity with Pope Francis’ call for a worldwide prayer of the “Our Father” on March 25 to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the Tuguegarao archdiocese has declared a “Rosary Day for Deliverance from CoVid-19”.

“Let us join the call of Pope Francis for all Christians to join the ecumenical praying of the ‘Our Father’, as a response to the CoVid-19 pandemic,” Archbishop Ricardo Baccay said.

Heeding the call of Pope Francis, the Philippine Catholic Church has set a simultaneous praying of the “Lord’s Prayer” on Wednesday as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a circular issued Monday, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines affirmed its participation in the worldwide prayer.

“Heeding the Pope’s invitation, we recommend that we will pray together the Lord’s Prayer at 7:00 p.m. on March 25,” said Fr. Marvin Mejia, CBCP Secretary General.

In an effort to stem the pandemic of COVID-19, the Archdiocese of Cotabato issued on Tuesday, March 17, pastoral guidelines to all priests, religious and faithful.

COTABATO CITY  – The Archdiocese of Cotabato and Diocese of Marbel has cancelled all masses in chapels and told priests to continue Eucharistic celebrations on main or parish churches only.

In separate statement, Cotabato Archbishop Angelito Lampon, OMI, DD and Marbel Bishop Cerilo U. Casicas, DD ordered priests to go on saying masses even without the congregation (church goers) as precautionary steps against coronavirus (COVID-19).

MANILA - Several dioceses in Metro Manila have suspended public gatherings including worship services and Masses amid coronavirus outbreak.

At least four dioceses have now suspended public worship for the coming weeks after the government has put the Metro under a lockdown.

In Manila, the first to release an instruction, Masses and other public gatherings in the archdiocese will be suspended from March 14 to 20.

But Manila administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo said parish churches and chapels will remain open to the faithful.