CEBU CITY, Philippines — “In a time of crisis, we must pray. But we can pray directly to God.”
This was the message of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia as she renewed her call for religious mass gatherings to be suspended amid the threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Garcia, in a press conference late Wednesday evening, March 18, 2020, called on the religious group Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) to follow suit in suspending their church activities like how the Islamic, Catholic and other Christian churches have done.
“Niuyon ko nga ining mga panahona, mas kinahanglan tang mo-ampo. Apan mahimo tang mo-ampo direkta sa ginoo. Ang Ginoo, omnipresent – anaa sa tanang lugar,” Garcia said.
(I agree that in this time, we need to pray. But we can pray directly to God. He is omnipresent. He is everywhere.)
Following a meeting between Garcia and the religious sector last Monday, March 16, the Roman Catholic Church, Seventh Day Adventist, United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), Cebu Bradford Church and the Muslim community have already declared the suspension of their church activities to avoid mass gatherings.
Read: Holy Masses go online, traditional Lent activities suspended
“Sumala sa among gikasabutan, gahapon ila nang undangan ang mga church activities nga magpundok og daghan. Live streaming na sila or on TV samtang magpadayon [nga] abli ang mga simbahan,” Garcia said.
(As what we have agreed on, yesterday, they halted church activities that required a gathering. They were already live streaming it or airing it on TV while leaving the churches open.)
Garcia said that INC, during their meeting, said they have yet to consult their leaders before they can declare their church activities as suspended. /bmjo