Palace to CBCP: Present physical distancing protocols in religious gatherings to IATF

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday called on the Catholic Church to coordinate with the government’s task force on COVID-19 response how it intends to implement physical distancing and other health protocols against the novel coronavirus during religious gatherings.

“Inaanyayahan po namin ang Simbahang Katolika na makipag-ugnayan hindi lamang po sa local government units kung paano ipatutupad ang social distancing,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a televised Palace briefing.

“Siguro ‘yung CBCP (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines) can officially communicate with IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases) kung paano nila gagawin po ‘yan,” he added.

Roque issued the statement in response to Manila Archdiocese Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo, who said that the IATF’s restrictions on religious gatherings are “unreasonable” and were made without consultation from church leaders.

Though some sectors have been allowed to operate in areas under with eased lockdown rules, restrictions remain in place over the religious sectors especially with regards to mass gatherings.

Large religious gatherings remain prohibited in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine but home services are now already allowed

Pabillo said the IATF should have instead implemented a one to two meters physical distancing regulation between persons inside churches.

But Roque reiterated that it was not the IATF that protested to ban religious gatherings but local officials.

“So ‘yang initiative po na bawiin muna yung public gatherings for religious services ay nanggaling po ‘yan sa mga lokal na opisyales at binigyan naman ng respeto ng IATF,” Roque explained.

To recall, Malacañang initially announced that religious meetings and essential work gatherings will be allowed in areas under general community quarantine as long as strict physical distancing and the mandatory wearing of face masks or other facial protective equipment is maintained to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

However, the government later backtracked and recalled the order as some local officials supposedly expressed concern over the resumption of these mass gathering activities.

The Palace official said CBCP should follow the lead of the independent nontrinitarian Christian sect Iglesia Ni Cristo—which has proposed to the IATF to double the number of its gatherings in a day to enable their churches to operate on a 50 percent capacity to enforce physical distancing.