Holy Week lockdown
For the second year in a row, churches will have to be shuttered for the Holy Week. For two weeks beginning today, ahead of the traditional Lenten break, the government has suspended all religious services together with other mass gatherings in Metro Manila and the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan.
Travel into and out of these places constituting a “bubble” have also been restricted, meaning the usual Holy Week vacations will again have to be scrapped this year. Even within the bubble, local governments have imposed travel and other mobility restrictions.
The “travel bubble” was announced following an emergency meeting yesterday as COVID-19 cases continued to spike, with 7,757 fresh infections reported – a slight dip from last Saturday’s record high 7,999. Health officials say lax compliance with minimum health protocols combined with the spread of more infectious COVID variants were fueling the record spike.
Voluntary compliance is the best way to end the fresh restrictions. Health experts are calling for the suspension of large family gatherings and even visits to relatives’ homes, as they noted an unusually rapid transmission within households.
There are serious calls for wearing masks and observing distancing even inside homes, especially in cramped households. This could be particularly useful among families that pray together during Holy Week. Distancing was strictly enforced in churches as religious leaders themselves noted the potential for spreading infected droplets while praying aloud or singing during mass, even with masks on.
From last year’s experience, it should be easier this time to observe Holy Week rituals even with churches closed. Last year, Holy Week masses and rituals were livestreamed. Palm Sunday blessing and traditional Lenten processions were transformed into prayer motorcades.
Even members of the clergy are at high risk of catching COVID. Last Saturday, the disease claimed the life of parish priest Arnold Sta. Maria Cañoza, 45, assigned to San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila. COVID has infected other members of the clergy, the latest being Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa, Batangas and several priests as well as Fr. Anton Pascual who heads Caritas Manila.
Even before the travel bubble was imposed, a few dioceses in Metro Manila already announced that they would put their churches on lockdown. Devotees can do their part through voluntary limits on their mobility even as they observe Holy Week traditions.