BY ANALOU DE VERA
The Archdiocese of Manila announced on Saturday that it stopped the conduct any public religious activities from August 3 to 14 in response to the call of different medical associations to place the National Capital Region to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.
“All the churches and shrines in the Archdiocese of Manila will revert to the period of the ECQ protocols,” said Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo in a pastoral instruction titled “We Hear the Call.”
However, Pabillo said that online religious activities will still continue.
“We will use this time to evaluate our church response to the pandemic and see how we can improve them,” he said.
The prelate said that they support the appeal of the healthcare workers for a “time out.”
“We share the compassion of the medical frontliners for the many sick people being brought to our hospitals. We have witnessed their dedicated service to those who come to them. Many among them are tired and even discouraged by their heavy responsibilities,” said Pabillo.
“They call for a period of time to reassess the response that we as a country have to this pandemic,” he added.
“So, all the stakeholders really need this time to come together, to evaluate, and improve our approaches to fight this pandemic,” he furthered.
Pabillo asked the faithful to pray for the safety of all the healthcare workers.
“Let us intensify our prayers that our frontliners may be kept safe, that those who are sick may get well soon, and that all our families be protected from the virus,” he said. (Analou de Vera)
