BY LESLIE ANN AQUINO
Although the Christmas celebration this year will be different due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBPC) expressed hope that the faithful will continue to see the heart and keep the essence of the season.
“The celebration of Christmas may be different this year. We will not have the same frenzy and stressful preparations that we had before the pandemic. But we pray and help our faithful to see the heart and essence of the season in the simple, sober, silent but strong and loving truth of the God who comes to us in Jesus’ incarnation,” CBCP President Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles said in the “Instructions on the celebration of Aguinaldo Masses, Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi” dated November 27.
“He became one with us even in suffering and darkness of human sinfulness, helplessness, and illness to bring us to the kingdom of light and salvation of the Father,” he added.
In the instruction, the CBCP head recommended that for Simbang Gabi, the Masses in the evening can start as early as 6 p.m. and for the morning the last Aguinaldo Mass be at 6 a.m.
Valles said the Bishop of the place in consultation with the pastors of the parishes and in coordination with the LGU may schedule more Simbang Gabi Masses in different venues which can be large enough to accommodate more people and still observing social distancing. (Leslie Ann Aquino)
