Bishop Broderick Pabillo, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Manila, appealed to the government to allow religious services in areas where quarantine policies have been relaxed.
“Allow the reopening of churches with the proper guidelines,” said the bishop, adding that church leaders “will follow the protocol.”
“What is important is we have religious services,” said Bishop Pabillo. “What we are asking is to allow [religious services] in areas under general community quarantine,” he said in an interview on May 11.
The Manila prelate has earlier released a set of guidelines for churches in the capital to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus disease.
“We are already prepared,” he said.
“If they want to change anything in the guidelines we will change it. Just allow religious activities to resume because that is necessary in the resilience of the people,” he added.
The holding of Masses and other religious services have been suspended in the archdiocese since March when the government implemented an “enhanced community quarantine.”
