LUCENA CITY –– Cavite Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista has announced that the Holy Mass celebration and other religious events in the province would be done virtually.
This adheres to the government order to curb the rise in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.
“I formally convey that all Eucharistic celebrations in all parishes in the Diocese of Imus be religiously performed without the attendance of the faithful and be transmitted live through various social media platforms, including the celebration of the Paschal Triduum,” Evangelista, head of the Diocese of Imus, said in his Circular No. 13.
The circular was issued on March 22 and posted on Facebook. The diocese has authority over priests and churches in Cavite.
Evangelista noted that areas under the stricter general community quarantine (GCQ) regulations “only allow the attendance of a maximum of ten persons” to a religious event.
“For this reason, the celebrations of the sacrament baptism, confirmation, matrimony, and even funeral masses will be done only with the strict implementation of the abovementioned protocol (10 persons in attendance),” he emphasized in the circular.
He added: “Related to this, the pre-scheduled Chrism Mass with the diocesan and religious clergy of the Diocese of Imus on Holy Wednesday, March 31, 2021, is also suspended.”
Holy Week this year begins March 28 and ends April 4.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), in its Resolution No. 104, has placed Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal, and the National Capital Region under GCQ from March 22 to April 4. The IATF move aims to curb the rising COVID-19 cases in the country.