Priests allowed to hold online masses in Cebu City cemeteries for All Souls’ Day

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Only priests will be allowed to enter the cemeteries in Cebu City for All Souls’ Day on November 2, 2020. 

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said that priests will be allowed enter cemeteries to hold masses for online viewing, without physical audience and only a few acolytes to accompany them. 

“That is really the request of the Archdiocese of Cebu and we are okay because only the priests can enter,” said the mayor. 

Labella said the Archdiocese of Cebu has requested for this kind of setup and the city government agreed to the request of the Church so that the religious holiday can still be observed albeit under a new normal. 

Read: Masses with no attendees may be held in cemeteries on Undas

Earlier this month, Labella ordered cemeteries in the city closed from October 30 to November 3, 2020 as a precaution to minimize the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). 

The mayor said this is done for the safety of the public since a gathering of this magnitude may cause another spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city.

Read: Labella on order to close cemeteries for Undas: ‘It is for the safety of the public’

From September 26, 2020 to October 29, 2020, cemeteries can allow people to visit as long as it remains at 30 percent capacity at a time. 

The police will start to man entrances and exits of major cemeteries in the city. There are 15 public cemeteries and 11 private memorial gardens here. 

The police will ensure that the cemeteries will comply with the basic health protocols of wearing masks and face shields, maintaining social distancing, and constant disinfection. 

The public will only be allowed to visit cemeteries from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, still in accordance with the quarantine pass coding schedule.

/bmjo