CBCP calls for Day of Prayer for health workers

MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Friday scheduled a Day of Prayer for health workers battling the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

In a circular, Archbishop Romulo Valles, CBCP president, invited all dioceses to offer prayers for the health workers in the country on March 29, the fifth Sunday of the Lent.

“We do this in all our Masses, our Rosaries, during our Holy Hour, and in our moments of personal prayer,” he said in a statement, noting the deaths of nine doctors due to the dreaded illness.

According to Valles, it is up to the diocese and parishes to actualize the call to prayer in their liturgies and pastoral activities. He added, though, that this may be done in the introduction to the Masses, homilies, prayers of the Catholic faithful, and intentions in rosaries and holy hour.

“Of course we continue praying our Oratio Imperata,” Valles added, referring to the obligatory prayer on the coronavirus disease which was issued by the CBCP in January.

He also asked dioceses to open their facilities as temporary shelters for hospital workers who are hesitant to go home out of fear that they might pass on the virus to their family members.

“May our prayer moves us to action,” he also said.

As of Friday afternoon, a total of 803 persons have been infected with the disease in the country, according to data from the Department of Health. Of this number, 54 have died and 31 have recovered.