ILOILO CITY –– Catholics in Capiz will listen to the Siete Palabras (Seven Last Words of Christ) during Holy Week in April, not in churches, but through radio broadcasts and Facebook live.
The Good Friday procession, highly anticipated by devotees, has been canceled in the Capiz Archdiocese, as parishioners are advised to pray in their homes, church, or chapel.
There will be no kissing of the Crucifix, and kissing and touching of other religious images.
There will also be no house-to-house visits of the 12 men playing the role of the apostles of Jesus Christ.
These are some of the measures directed by Capiz Archbishop Jose Advincula Jr. as part of efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted even the most long-held practices and rites of the Catholic Church.
The prelate also permitted priests to grant general absolution instead of individual confession until April 15.
Advincula also directed the ringing of bells in parishes and mission stations at noon and 8 p.m. daily, to call on the people to pray the Oratio Imperata (Obligatory Prayer) for deliverance from the virus.
“Please be reminded that the guidelines … do not desire to change the traditions of the Church; they are just temporary precautions as we face together this contemporary health issue,” Advincula said.
“May our fear of COVID-19 be dispelled by our proactive and consistent positive response to the above-mentioned recommendations and our firm faith in Jesus, our Divine Healer,” he said.
In Iloilo City, the Jaro Archdiocese has directed those giving the Holy Communion to sanitize their hands.
Holy Water font and entrances of churches should also be emptied and all objects used during Masses, like linens and vessels, should be washed or changed, according to an advisory.
While Masses and baptismal rites continue, the archdiocese advises the doing away of secondary activities./lzb