FACED with the challenge posed by the enhanced community quarantine, the Archdiocese of Manila is calling on the faithful to observe the Holy Week with deeper faith sans the traditional external practices.

In his latest “Pastoral Instruction”, Manila Archdiocese Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the faithful is strongly encouraged to look at different ways to observe the Holy Week without the usual “external manifestations” of one’s faith.

“Due to the virus, we are challenged this year to live this most holy week without the traditional external trappings. There is still the Holy Week but we celebrate it differently, and hopefully, more deeply,” said Pabillo.

“Holy Week is not taken from us. We just celebrate it in a different, and hopefully, in another meaningful way,” he added.

Pabillo said that failure to do so may mean that there are individuals, who identify religion only with their external practices.

“Indeed, if we are not careful, the external practices can hide the deep meaning of our Christian faith,” said Pabillo.

To note, the Holy Week in the Philippines is usually marked with blessing of palms, neighborhood singing of the Pasyon, the Senakulo, the Chrism Mass, the Washing of the Feet, the Visita Iglesia, and the Way of the Cross.

Also practiced during the Holy Week are the Veneration of the Cross, the procession of the Santo Entierro, the solemn Easter Vigil Mass, and the Salubong.

For this year, however, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has already suspended public activities during the Holy Week due to the community lockdown being imposed.

For Palm Sunday, Pabillo said the faithful can still welcome the Lord and ask him to enter their homes and lives by prayers and fidelity to His commands, take time to read the Passion Narrative and reflect over it.

In lieu of the singing of the Pasyon or watching the Senakulo, everyone is encouraged to read the Gospels from end to end, or all the four gospels during the week.

As for the Washing of Feet observed on Maundy Thursday, Pabillo said families can practice it in their homes through the service that they give to one another.

Absent the Veneration of the Cross in churches, the prelate said families can give special prominence to their crucifix in their homes on Good Friday by putting it in a special place in the home, light a candle beside it, and decorate it.

He also urged families to spend Good Friday in prayer and fasting while turning off their electronic gadgets the whole day, except to participate in the Veneration of the Cross at 3 pm or to listen to the Siete Palabras.

Lastly, on Black Saturday, Pabillo urged families to join the Easter Vigil celebration online by having some form of celebration on Easter night with extra food, stories, and games, in order to “experience together the joy that Jesus is indeed risen”. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)