Manila’s famed Quiapo Church, also known as the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, reopened on the first Friday of June to devotees with enforced protocols and health safety guidelines.
The Manila center of the annual January 9 celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene released a video guide on how devotees and churchgoers can enter the church premises amid the ongoing General Community Quarantine (GCQ) in Manila to stop the spread of coronavirus disease.
The “Dito Po Sa Quiapo” live Facebook video streaming on June 5, 2020, hosted by Quiapo Church’s Fr. Danichi Hui and Fr. Douglas Badong provided the following steps:
- No face mask or shield, no entry
- Individuals to pass through DisinfecTent, a tent where disinfectant is sprayed on the churchgoers
- Individuals to disinfect their footwear on a Foot Bath
- Individuals to pass over rags to dry footwear
- Medical team checks the temperature
- Individual disinfect hands
- Stand only on marked spots that observe 2-meters distance between
- Sit only on color-coded markers in pews that observe the over 1.5 meters distance between for physical distancing
- Color-coded markers determine the movement of people in the church and on leaving the premises guided by crowd managers
- Plaza Miranda police force to assist the church in ingress and egress
- Only 10 attendees are allowed inside the church while the Holy Mass is ongoing, under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) guidelines
- Only 50 devotees at a time are given 15 minutes to stay inside when there is no ongoing mass, but still observing the same safety protocols
Quiapo Church celebrates five Masses daily at 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m.
The kissing or “pahalik” of the Black Nazarene image, walking on knees on the aisle towards the altar, and confessionals remain suspended.
Another popular Catholic Church, the Baclaran Church, had also reopened to devotees with enforced safety guidelines.
Churches have been allowed to welcome more mass attendees up to 50% of the church seating capacity in areas under the Modified GCQ.
The Catholic Church had earlier issued guidelines for church activities in areas under community quarantine.
WATCH the video guide here and TELL US in the comments below, what is the value of going to church to you amid the coronavirus pandemic?
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