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The Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Philippines (CBCP) has issued guidelines on the performance of the ninth Mass of the Gallo or Simbang Gabi that are celebrated from December 16 to 24, in accordance with the security protocol prescribed by the health authorities for slow down the Covid-19 transmission.
The CBCP in its Circular No. 20-82 of November 27 said that parishes will continue to enforce the mandatory wearing of masks, the observance of social distancing and a ban on mass gatherings at the nine-day sunrise masses.
For Simbang Gabi, the CBCP recommends starting Masses in the evening at 6 p.m. In the morning, the last Mass can be celebrated at 6 a.m.
The CBCP said the bishops, in consultation with priests and in coordination with local government units, can schedule more sunrise Masses in large venues that can accommodate more people and where social distancing can still be observed.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said he will allow masses to be held at dawn if they are held inside churches.
Church officials met with Labella on Tuesday, December 1 to discuss Misa de Gallo business.
Bishop Camilo Alia, moderator of the team at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, headquarters of the Archdiocese of Cebu, said the meeting ended without a final decision, adding that the mayor may call another meeting.
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The CBCP still encourages live streaming of liturgical celebrations for those unable to physically join the novena Masses.
On Christmas Eve, the vigil Mass can be celebrated at 6pm while the last Mass on December 24 would take up the liturgy of the Christmas midnight mass.
The Christmas sunrise mass can also be celebrated early in the morning on December 25.
Since kissing or touching the images is still prohibited, the CBCP encourages families to bring their family image of baby Jesus during Christmas Masses.
“The celebration of Christmas may be different this year. We will not have the same hectic and stressful preparations that we had before the pandemic. But we pray and help our faithful to see the heart and essence of the season, in the simple, sober, silent but strong and loving truth of the God who comes to us in the incarnation of Jesus ”, president of CBCP and Archbishop of Davao Romulus. Valles said in the circular.
Alia said that the Archbishop of Cebu, José Palma, will probably call a special meeting with the liturgists and the board of consultants following the instructions of the CBCP.
Waiting for order
Fr Japheth Geonzon, vice chairman of the Cebu Archdiocese Worship Commission, also said that the Archdiocese is still awaiting final executive order from Labella on performing the sunrise Masses.
He said that the CBCP did not give a uniform to-do list during Gallo’s Mass for all parishes. The position of the CBCP is very clear that the celebration of Masses depends on the number of active Covid-19 cases of the place to which a parish belongs.
Geonzon said the number of Covid-19 cases in central Visayas is no longer alarming.
The Archdiocese of Cebu is considering encouraging parishes to celebrate two Masses at dawn to divide the number of attendees.
Geonzon believes Archbishop Palma will not disclose his morning mass schedule to prevent people from going to parishes.
The CBCP explained that the original nature of Misa de Gallo (Spanish for “Misa del Gallo”) was for nine masses in a row in the morning or sunrise. But during martial law in the Mark era, these Masses were moved to the night before due to curfews that prevented people from going to church early in the morning. These evening masses continue to be celebrated today despite the lifting of those curfews. (EDT)
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