Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma is encouraging Cebuanos to obey the guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-MEID), the local government unit, and the church for the upcoming Fiesta Señor or Sinulog 2021 celebration in January.
Palma made this appeal as the country is still in a pandemic, brought by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Palma said that the foot and the fluvial procession of the Fiesta Señor were already canceled by the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño to avoid mass gathering and the spread of the virus.
“The Augustinian priests have met with the IATF and government officials. They have already made guidelines, like no foot procession, no fluvial procession, those things,” Palma said.
“I think we should be obedient to the instruction,” he added.
Despite this, Palma said that devotees of the Sr. Sto. Niño should still be grateful as they can still attend and participate in masses, novenas, and other religious activities of the church.
“We just follow, anyway, kalooy sa Dios. We may not celebrate it as we would have wanted, but hopefully, after this or next year,” he added. /rcg