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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider NCCP encourages online masses during MECQ

NCCP encourages online masses during MECQ

Published Aug 3, 2020 11:35 am

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) has appealed to their member churches to revert to online masses amid the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the country.

(MANILA BULLETIN)

Bishop Reuel Marigza, NCCP general secretary, issued the appeal Sunday, after medical frontliners appealed to the government for a "timeout" by reverting to an enhanced community quarantine especially in Metro Manila.
 
"In keeping with the general call, we are hereby appealing to our churches to revert back to online worship services, for the sake of helping curb the spread of the virus," he said in a statement.
 
"We had been reminded during the pandemic that the Church is not the building, but people congregating in worship," Marigza added.
 
He also stressed that the call is not a curtailment of the "freedom of worship or religion."
 
"It is a voluntary action on the part of churches to contribute to the common good and common welfare," said Marigza.
 
He revealed that in Baguio City, though under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the religious leaders in the city have agreed with the city officials to temporarily suspend on-site services for two Sundays and revert to online or virtual worship services. 
 
"Let us continue to pray for the healing of our nation, and let us do our part to help slow down and eventually halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus!" Marigza said.
 
The Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) didnt issue a suspension anymore as they have yet to resume their religious activities particularly in the National Capital Region (NCR).
 
"All of our NCR churches and those under ECQ and general community quarantine (GCQ) have carefully followed Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) rules of no religious gathering," PCEC national director Bishop Noel Pantoja said in an interview.
 
"We have strongly encouraged online worship services, meetings, training, wedding, funerals, wedding and even ordination of pastors," he added.
 
Over the weekend the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila and the Diocese of Cubao suspended their public liturgical services from August 3 to 14 as a response to the call of the medical frontliners.
 

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