BY LESLIE ANN G. AQUINO
Even parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila have been barred from organizing Christmas caroling this year amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Archdiocese of Manila apostolic administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo gave the directive during a recent meeting with priests after experts issued a warning that virus can easily be transmitted through singing.
“We have already instructed our parishes not to organize caroling,” he said in an interview Wednesday.
“There is no letter. I just told them in our Zoom meeting,” added Pabillo. Father Jerome Secillano of the Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Parish said the prelate issued the directive to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Some parishes usually hold Christmas caroling activities by going house to house as a form of fund raising.
Last week, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año pushed for online Christmas caroling to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“If there will be caroling maybe it should only be online. But personal and face to face carolling as of now is not advisable since we have not yet flattened the curve,’’ he was quoted in an interview. (Leslie Ann G. Aquino)
