MANILA (UCAN): “Let us not be side-tracked by these discussions,” said Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Manila following the announcement that some Lenten rituals, such as the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday, would have to be changed for fear of spreading the Covid-19 virus. Ash is to be sprinkled on the heads of the faithful on Ash Wednesday instead being imposed on their foreheads.
Bishop Pabillo said the faithful should not be confused by “changed external practices,” adding, “Let us go to the core meaning of our rites.”
The bishop noted, “This is not the only way to do it, nor is it even the original way.” He noted that, beyond where the ash is imposed and in what manner, the meaning is the same—that is, a call to “humility and repentance.”
He said, “Thus while the dust is imposed on us, whether on top of the head or on the forehead, we are reminded of our lowly origin. Humility and repentance are the essence, and these should not be lost in whatever form the ash is imposed on us.”
Bishop Pabillo also reminded the faithful that Ash Wednesday is not just a one-time event as it ushers everyone to a season of renewal.
“Let us not be side-tracked by the coronavirus in living the season of grace this Lent,” he added.
In a Twitter post, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines also asked the faithful not to kiss or touch the cross when they venerate it on Good Friday, April 10.
Instead, they should “genuflect or make a profound bow.”
The Philippine Department of Health announced on February 20 that more than a dozen new suspected cases of Covid-19 had been recorded in the country.
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Authorities said that 17 out of the cumulative total of 556 persons under investigation in the country were new additions to the list.
The number of persons under investigation in the country, however, continues to go down. Only about a quarter, or 133, are still confined at various medical facilities.
There are only three confirmed cases of Covid-19 infection in the country and one death. Health officials also said that two out of the three confirmed cases have also recovered.
To date, there is still no reported local transmission of the virus.
