Why does the Catholic Church stop ringing bells on Maundy Thursday?

The Paschal Triduum or Easter Triduum is the last three days of Lent, which commemorate the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

These are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. During this time, Catholics are called to renew their faith through prayer, fasting, and alms giving.

One of the traditions done during Maundy Thursday is the suspension of the ringing of church bells from the end of the "Gloria" on Holy Thursday until the "Gloria" at the Easter Vigil.

According to statement posted by the Archdiocese of Cebu, the suspension of the ringing of church bells marks the peak of the Paschal Triduum.

While the "Gloria in Excelsis" hymn is being sung, the bells are rung. Once it ends, the bells fall silent and remain so until the singing of the "Gloria in Excelsis" during the Easter Vigil on Black Saturday.

“By stripping away the melody of the bells, we are invited to enter a space of interior silence, focusing solely on the sacrifice of Our Lord until the joyful Alleluia resounds once more at the Resurrection,” the Cebu archdiocese said in a social media post.

The silence, often referred to as the bells “going to Rome,” embodies mourning for Jesus Christ’s passion.

Meanwhile, the wooden clappers, or crotalus in Latin, are used as a somber, harsh-sounding replacement.

“It reminds the faithful of the Passion, specifically the nails being hammered into the Cross or the whips of the scourging,” the Cebu archdiocese said.

The crotalus is widely used in the country, where it is also called matraka, takatak, or takatok.

Another tradition done during Maundy Thursday is the Visita Iglesia, where the faithful go to several churches to pray, reflect, and spend time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

It is traditionally observed after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Thursday evening, when the Blessed Sacrament is taken out of the tabernacle and placed on an altar installed on one side of the church where the faithful spend time in prayer.

This practice is tied to the Gospel narrating the agony of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he asked his disciples to stay with him and watch.

This year, Maundy Thursday will be on April 2, while Easter Sunday will be on April 5. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA News