Newly installed Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy offered prayers for the families who lost their loved ones during the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the province on Tuesday evening.
“My condolences to all who lost their loved ones because of the earthquake. May the Lord grant you strength and hope,” Uy said in a statement.
“In times of hardship, let us all unite in prayer and mutual help,” he added.
The archdiocese of Cebu has since issued an advisory directing parishes in hard-hit areas to refrain from celebrating Mass inside their churches for the time being.
“Refrain from using your churches until the proper experts have carried out the assessment and declared the structures safe for use,” the archdiocese said.
The statement comes as several heritage churches sustained damage, including the centuries-old Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan.
