CBCP seeks clearance to hold Holy Week church gatherings at 10% capacity

Saint Peter Parish Church on Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has asked the national government to allow the holding of religious gatherings at 10 percent capacity of churches within the NCR Plus bubble during the Holy Week.

Father Genaro Diwa, Executive Secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Liturgy, said Friday that he represented the CBCP to make the request before the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID.)

“Two days ago I was asked to represent the CBCP to the working committee before the IATF and we made an appeal to the IATF if we can be granted at least for the three days celebrations namely Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday, and added is Easter Sunday of course because that is the culmination, if we can be granted the allowance of even at least 10 percent church attendance,” he said in an online press briefing.

“I made the representation and they tried to ask me all the parameters that we are putting in place in order to ensure safety protocols because of the growing number of the cases of COVID,” he added.

According to Diwa, the request covers areas in the NCR Plus that were placed under general community quarantine from March 22 to April 4, such as the Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, and Bulacan.

The IATF earlier prohibited mass gatherings, including religious gatherings, in these areas during the period of GCQ amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

Diwa said he was told that the decision of the IATF on their request will be announced this Friday by presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

EDV