Online mass – The Catholic Faithful’s new tool
Last night, President Duterte addressed the nation to announce new protocols particularly for people in Metro Manila in connection with the spreading Corona virus pandemic. He announced a community quarantine which simply put is a lockdown of the metro that will last for 30 days beginning March 15.
While everyone will be trying to understand the details of the lockdown, one of the items that was clearly indicated was that people are to avoid crowded places & more importantly, are not allowed to hold events. “Mass gatherings, either planned or spontaneous shall be prohibited during this period and if disobeyed is punishable under the penal code and can be arrested by military and police”.
This means the regular Sunday mass of the predominantly Catholic country is not allowed for fear of the spreading of the virus. Filipinos with online access need not worry though as there is the option of online masses. While technology has primarily been used for information & business, it is a breath of fresh air that it is now being used to support & hold on to our Faith.
