Mozambican Catholic Church suspends all public services – AIM

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Mozambican Catholic Church suspends all public services – AIM

6:36 CAT | 21 Mar 2020

Cathedral.maputo.macauhub.15.11.2016.470-1

File photo: Macauhub

The Roman Catholic Church in Mozambique has suspended all public acts of worship, following the ban on gatherings of more than 50 people announced on Friday by President Filipe Nyusi in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Episcopal Conference of Mozambique, which is the organization of the country’s catholic bishops, announced that the suspension covers the celebration of mass, confessions, retreats, vigils, pilgrimages, rehearsals of choral groups, and all other public activities.

The suspension covers the most important part of the Catholic year, Holy Week, marking the Christian belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This year, Holy Week runs from 5 to 11 April.

During Holy Week, the bishops said, the celebrations will be undertaken by the clergy behind closed doors, without the participation of the lay believers.

Also suspended is public participation at funerals. Parish churches are invited to pray for the bereaved families and offer them logistical support.

All classes in Catholic schools and creches are suspended, in line with the government’s closure of all the country’s schools

“The priests and deacons will sustain the holy people of God with their personal prayers, the liturgy of the hours, and the daily celebration of the Eucharist, if possible broadcast by radio or through other communication platforms”, the bishops said.

They called on Catholics to hold family prayers at home, and particularly to say the series of prayers that make up the Rosary.

Secular bodies are also restricting their public activities. Thus the media company SOICO has suspended the rehearsals for its talent spotting TV programme “Fama Show”, and has suspended the printing of its daily paper “O Pais”.

Readers and subscribers to “O Pais” will still be able to obtain the electronic version of the paper.

Source: AIM