Since the faithful won’t be able to visit their dead in cemeteries on November 1 and 2, Apostolic Administrator of the Archdicoese of Manila Bishop Broderick Pabillo urged them to go to church instead and offer Mass for their dearly departed.
In a pastoral instruction titled "One with Our Beloved Dead" issued on Monday, the prelate said the Holy Eucharist is the "best prayer that one can offer."
"On November 1 and 2, all are encouraged to go to Church and offer Mass for our beloved dead," said Pabillo.
He said to accommodate more churchgoers, parishes will hold more Masses.
"Lighting of candles for the dead can also be done in areas provided by the parishes during the month of November," he added.
Pabillo explained that lighting of candles is an "external manifestation" of our prayer.
Instead of going to the cemeteries on November 1 and 2, he said, the faithful can also set aside time together as a family in their homes and pray for those who have gone ahead of us.
"It is a good and holy thought to pray for the dead. It would also be good if we can share with the family members our recollections about our beloved dead so that their memory can bind us closer to each other," he said.
With the closure of cemeteries from October 29 to Nov. 4, Pabillo urged the faithful to schedule their visit to the cemetery on other days.
"We can go to visit them in the cemeteries on other days, not just in the first two days of November. So we can schedule our family visit to the cemetery on any day before Oct. 29 and on any day after Nov. 4. What is to be avoided is that we congregate together and form large crowds only on certain days," he said.
The Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) has issued a resolution saying: "All public and private cemeteries, and memorial parks, including columbariums and the like throughout the country shall be closed to visitors from October 29 to November 4, 2020."
The mayors of Metro Manila also came out with a resolution to close the public cemeteries from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 this year to avoid large crowds congregating and thus spread the coronavirus.
In his pastoral instruction, Pabillo also reminded the faithful that it is not allowed to keep the urns containing the ashes of their dead in their homes permanently.
"During these past six months, many have experienced death in the family, and for hygienic reasons many of our dead were cremated," he said.
"I would like to remind everyone that it is not allowed for us to keep the urns containing the ashes in our homes permanently. There is great danger of desecration in the future, especially when we are no longer around to look after and care for these ashes," Pabillo added.
He said the ashes should be laid to rest in columbaria in the cemeteries or in churches.
"In this way too, other people outside of our families who would like to visit and pray for them can freely do so any time," said Pabillo.
All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2) are two important feasts for the Catholic faithful.
During the said days, the faithful honor all the saints-known and unknown- and pray and visit their beloved dead in the cemetery.