Covid-19: Archdiocese of Maputo cancels pilgrimages

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Covid-19: Archdiocese of Maputo cancels pilgrimages

2:22 CAT | 16 Mar 2020

FILE- Maputo Cathedral, [File photo: Wikimedia Commons]

The Archdiocese of Maputo on Sunday announced the cancellation of pilgrimages planned for this month, in compliance with the decision announced by President of the Republic Filipe Nyusi to suspend all events involving more than 300 people, in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

A note sent to Radio Mozambique by the Archdiocese of Maputo further announces that the traditional Archdiocesan Stations of the Cross devotion will not take place as usual.

Father José Pinto of the Secretariat of pastoral coordination in Maputo, said that “the Archdiocese has decided to interrupt all activities which involve the gathering of many people and the Way of the Cross is one of them.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the devotion of the Way of the Cross – also called Stations of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa – may be conducted personally by the faithful, making their way from one station to another and saying the prayers, or by having an officiating celebrant move from cross to cross while the faithful make the responses. The celebration of the Stations of the Cross is especially common on the Fridays of Lent, especially Good Friday.

In view of the current scenario, the Archbishop of Maputo, Dom Francisco Chimoio, is calling on the Catholic community in Mozambique to perform the traditional Way of the Cross observances individually or in small groups.

Source: Rádio Moçambique / Wikipedia