Archdiocese of Manila not defying gov't protocol vs. mass gathering -CBCP

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Wednesday clarified that the Archdiocese of Manila is not defying the government protocol against mass gatherings.

Interviewed on GTV’s Balitangahali, CBCP spokesperson Fr. Jerome Secillano said Archdiocese of Manila apostolic administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo made the clarification in a meeting.

“Sinabi naman niya na hindi naman niya dini-defy  ‘yung government protocol so ang ginawa niya lang din nag-express lang ng kanyang religious rights bilang isang organization at leader ng Archdiocese ng Manila,” Secillano said.

(He said that he was not defying the government protocol. He was only expressing his religious rights as an organization and leader of the Archdiocese of Manila.)

On Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said churches risk getting shut down if they will defy the ban on religious gatherings after Pabillo issued a pastoral statement saying they will continue holding masses.

Secillano noted that the CBCP has no position on the matter since all dioceses are autonomous.

He pointed out that the CBCP and different dioceses have been followed the measures of the government even after it placed the National Capital Region and four nearby provinces or NCR Plus under a general community quarantine (GCQ) bubble.

With the implementation of the GCQ bubble in NCR Plus, religious gatherings are prohibited from March 22 to April 4 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Wednesday, Pabillo issued a new statement clarifying some points in his pastoral instruction that he issued on Tuesday.

“In the short instruction of less than 1000 words, more than nine times it is mentioned that we make use of online platforms in our participation in our religious activities,” Pabillo said.

“This shows that the great majority of the faithful is encouraged to join through the digital facilities,” he added. -MDM, GMA News