Priests from the Archdiocese of Manila are urged to join a penitential walk on June 1 for the needs of the country and the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a pastoral instruction issued on Tuesday, Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo asked priests to join the religious gathering at the Quiapo Church and Sta. Cruz Church.
“I invite you all to join in a day during which we implore God’s mercy on us. It will be on June 1, the beginning of the month of the Sacred Heart, and for us in the Archdiocese, the month that we will receive our new archbishop,” he said.
The Catholic prelate also invited the faithful to join the event online.
“I invite all to join in a day of prayer and fasting. We can all do these in our homes and even in our offices and places of work. Because of the health protocols, we cannot externally manifest this desire to humble ourselves. Let the priests, the spiritual leaders of your parishes, schools, and ministries, do this on behalf of the people while you join us online,” he said.
The event will start at 8:30 a.m., where the priests will gather in Quiapo Church for a communal penitential service during which they can confess their sins to one another.
“We are sorry. We express this sorrow with a penitential walk from Quiapo Church to Sta. Cruz Church where we will together celebrate the Eucharist, praying for you, our people, for the needs of the country and the world in this time of pandemic,” Pabillo said.
He urged all priests to join the event for the sake of the faithful.
“In the afternoon, all the parishes will celebrate Mass with the people pleading for forgiveness and healing of our land,” he added.
Meanwhile, a legislator called on the religious sector to continue praying for the country’s healing due to the effects of the pandemic.
Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano made the appeal as he spoke at the Chaplaincy Induction Ceremony on Monday organized by the Values Formation and Spiritual Transformation Council International Inc (VFSTCII).
“I wholeheartedly believe that the Lord is teaching us Filipinos something during this season. Haven’t we been taught that we are the only Christian nation in Southeast Asia? We have to embody it in every way, especially in bayanihan,” Cayetano said.
“Our people are still suffering. What happened with COVID was that everyone else suffered. So let us pray to God to open his gates and pour out his grace on our nation,” he said.
