Virus alert: Church tweaks Ash Wednesday practice

‘YOU ARE DUST, AND TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN’ Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made man. As the priest or lay minister applies the ashes to a person’s forehead, he speaks the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN
‘YOU ARE DUST, AND TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN’ Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made man. As the priest or lay minister applies the ashes to a person’s forehead, he speaks the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN

ILOILO City – Due to the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Archdiocese of Jaro is taking precautionary measures.

For today’s traditional observance of Ash Wednesday, churches under the diocese would be sprinkling or dropping small portions of blessed ash on the crown of the faithful’s head instead of the marking the forehead with a cross using the ash.

Ash Wednesday is the start of the 40-day Lenten season.

This was recommended by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), according to Jaro Archbishop Jose Romeo Lazo in a circular.

The ashes, which are mixed with holy water or oil, are made by burning Palm Sunday leaves from the previous year.

Then on Good Friday, April 10, the traditional kissing of the cross won’t be practiced, according to Lazo. The faithful are instead encouraged to genuflect in front of the cross.

“May our celebration of Lent and the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord bring us interior and heartfelt movement of grace,” according to Lazo.

He also urged the faithful to “include in our prayers those affected by the virus and that a preventive and healing cure may be found.”

On Feb. 20 CBCP issued liturgical guidelines addressed to all bishops and diocesan administrators vis-à-vis the COVID-19 threat.

“In Baptism, we have been anointed on the crown of the head. The ashes to be imposed on the crown signify our repentance from sin, which has marred the grace of Baptism. (The ash sprinkling) is not an innovation but in accord with the ancient practice of the Church,” according to CBCP president Archbishop Romulo Valles.

Regarding the Good Friday practice of venerating the cross, he stated, “…we strongly recommend…that the faithful refrain from kissing or touching the cross…Instead the faithful are requested to genuflect or make a profound bow…”

“As we begin the season of Lent, we are reminded of the constant call for renewal in our Christian life by self-control (fasting and abstinence), generosity and charity (almsgiving) and prayer. Our charity is also expressed in our concern for the well-being of our brothers and sisters, thus our utmost care and efforts towards the prevention of the spread of COVID-19,” according to Valles.

Father Angelo Colada, director for Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Jaro, said these guidelines were the Church’s answer to the Department of Health’s appeal for all sectors to take precautionary measures against COVID-19.

On Jan. 29 the CBCP issued an oratorio imperata or obligatory prayer against the COVID-19. All churches were called on to pray the oratio in “all weekday and Sunday masses, after the Holy Communion, kneeling down.”

In Circular No. 20-05, CBCP also stated that communions must be placed on the hands instead of putting it in the mouths of the faithful.

“The communion in the hand be practiced ordinarily to help prevent further fear from people who are reasonably cautious about this matter,” a part of the guidelines read.

Churches were also reminded to always ensure that the holy water in their stoups is clean, and provide/install protective cloth in on the grills of confessionals.

Likewise, the faithful were advised to refrain from holding hands while singing “Our Father” and shaking hands during the portion in the Mass where the congregation makes the sign of peace to one another.

“In praying we invite ourselves with all our brothers and sisters suffering from the disease brought by this virus, bring up to God our longing for them to be restored to full health and humbly pray that we may be spared from infection of this virus,” stated CBCP./PN

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