Priests to assess safety of churches

The archdiocese of Manila will give its priests a “crash course” in assessing the safety and structural integrity of churches under their care, according to a Church official.

With the major repair and restoration of the centuries-old Manila Cathedral in full swing, the archdiocese admitted that it could not immediately check on all other churches in its jurisdiction to see whether these remain safe for public use.

“But we will give our priests a crash course so they know what to look for, such as cracks in the edifices, and determine the nature of these cracks,” said Fr. Carlos Reyes, a civil engineer from the Ministry of Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs of the Archdiocese of Manila.

Reyes is overseeing the rehabilitation of Manila Cathedral, the first since its last renovation in 1958.

The archdiocese earlier decided to close down the cathedral, a popular wedding venue for couples, for at least a year to ensure that the necessary repairs and restoration could be carried out.

The announcement was made last week by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, who said that cracks had been found in key parts of the structure, particularly in its columns, beams and walls.  The cathedral was closed to the public starting February 7.

Tagle said his archdiocese would focus first on the Manila Cathedral although other churches, particularly the old ones, would also be evaluated to check for structural soundness and adherence to the building code.

“As for now, we can’t do that yet… I’ve been here for only two months and here’s a major thing that came up but we will check on the other churches one by one,” he told reporters.

The archdiocese has at least 85 churches under its jurisdiction, including San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila; Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and National Shrine in Makati City; Our Lady of Remedies Parish in Malate, Manila; (which is also undergoing restoration); and Binondo Church (San Lorenzo Ruiz Minor Basilica).

Reyes said the churches under the archdiocese may have different architectural styles compared to Manila Cathedral and only experts would be able to gauge their structural integrity. “But I think it’s also time that we should know what to look for in these buildings,” he added.