ILOILO City – Today is Ash Wednesday – the start of Lent in the Christian church.
The Archdiocese of Jaro has allowed the marking of ash crosses on the foreheads of the faithful although the sprinkling of ashes on the head remains an option.
For two successive years since the pandemic started in 2020, churches did away with the forehead marking so as to comply with physical distancing – a pandemic health protocol.
Recently, however, the pandemic alert levels in the region dropped. Iloilo city and province are now under Level 2.
Still, according to Father Angelo Colada, director of the Archdiocese of Jaro’s Commission on Social Communications, devotees will be required to wear facemask, observe physical distancing and hand sanitation.
Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made man. As the priest applies the ashes to a person’s forehead, he speaks the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Based on the guidelines issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines – Episcopal Commission on Liturgy (CBCP-ECL) on Feb. 22 but was only made public on Feb. 26, priests may again swipe ashes on the foreheads of churchgoers in the sign of the cross.
“The formula for the imposition of ashes ‘Repent, and believe in the Gospel’, or ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return’ is said only once applying it to all in general. We will revert to the imposition of ashes on the forehead of the faithful,” said part of the CBCP statement which was signed by the Commission’s chairperson, Bishop Victor Bendico.
The sprinkling of ashes on the crown will remain an option.
“We have been reminded last year that this option is an ‘opportunity to catechize our people on both the penitential and baptismal characters of the Lenten season…,” the CBCP statement said.
At the same time, the Church stressed it will continue to strictly implement health protocols during church events in the observance of Lent.
“We abide by the stringent policy of the government on social distancing and the use of face masks during church services. We continue to sanitize our churches every after liturgical celebrations and provide alcohol for the sanitation of our faithful,” the statement added.
If religious processions will be allowed, these should be coordinated with local government and barangay officials.
“We limit the route of the processions through roads or streets that will allow greater possibility for social distancing. Procession marshals are necessary to maintain the safe distance of the participants of the processions,” the CBCP said.
“It is not recommended to use carosas or andas which need to be carried by people because this will not ensure social distancing of those who carry these platforms. It is safer to put the images on a motor vehicle instead of those carried by people. We take great care not to give an opportunity for our faithful to congregate outside their homes. These suggestions should be omitted where strict lockdown is enforced,” CBCP added. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
