Masses on Palm Sunday at the National Shrine of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo City went online, but some people holding palm branches and leaves were able to enter the church compound.
A staff of the cathedral told Manila Bulletin that all the Sunday Masses at the Antipolo Cathedral were done online via Facebook live through the official Facebook page of the church, the Birhen ng Antipolo-Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.
But during the 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 12 noon Masses, several churchgoers were seen in the church compound.
There was no sprinkling of the holy water by the priest and lay ministers during and after each mass, which had been a Palm Sunday tradition prior to the pandemic, the staff of the cathedral told Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.
“Hindi po yata napigilan ng mga pulis at guwardya ng simbahan ang mga tao na pumasok sa gate ng simbahan dahil sa kanilang pagnanais na mabasbasan ng pari ang palaspas na dala-dala nila (It seems that the policemen and security guards failed to prevent the people from entering the gate of the church because of their desire to have their palm fronds blessed by the priest),” the church personnel said.
The last Mass for Palm Sunday at 6 p.m. was expected to attract more churchgoers, according to the cathedral staff.