The bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran in the central Philippines urged members of the clergy to shorten the celebration of the Holy Mass to about 45 minutes during the pandemic.
Bishop Alberto Uy of Tagbilaran said homilies should only be short and songs will only be sang during the start of the celebration, and during the offertory and communion.
“I am humbly asking for your understanding. We are in difficult times, the space to move is very tight; the options are very limited,” said the prelate.
The Diocese of Tagbilaran has been placed under the more relaxed “modified general community quarantine,” which allows the public celebration of religious activities.
On May 14, the diocese resumed the public celebration of Holy Masses.
Bishop Uy assured the faithful that the Church is doing everything to follow health protocols to ensure public safety.
“Please trust me that I am tediously looking for workable solutions to our current situation, always with the common good in mind,” said the prelate.
The local government of the province of Bohol agreed to allow the public celebration of Masses but limited to only 25 percent of the venue’s capacity.
The diocese instructed all parishes to implement the “One Entrance, One Exit” policy and to record the names and addresses of Mass goers for easy contact tracing.
