CAGAYAN de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno on Tuesday, April 7, said religious activities during the Holy Week are not prohibited as long as social distancing is observed.
Moreno said he received a letter from Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma about the church’s plans to conduct the blessed Sacrament in the hospitals.
On Good Friday, the Catholic church will take to the streets the image of the Black Nazarene for a motorcade in the city instead of a procession.
“Ako personally, I have no question niana kay that is part of the exercise of religious freedom. Ang importante masiguro nato nga dili magpunsisok ang tao niana nga activity,” Moreno said.
(For me, I have no question because that is the exercise of religious freedom. What’s important is we need to avoid forming crowds in that activity.)
The mayor said they will have to make arrangements wherein by the time the said religious activity is conducted, social distancing is still observed.
Moreno also received a request from Pastor Ching Roa informing the mayor of their plans to go around the city while preaching the word of God.
The city mayor said he agreed to the request as long as they won’t be stopping anywhere to ensure that they won’t be approached by the people, especially children.
“They want to do that. I have no problem with that. Let religious freedom be exercised in a manner that is the wish of the religious organization without however breaching the guidelines on social distancing,” Moreno said.
“Mao nga kita sa atong kapulisan, city disaster, sa health services, we’ll have to make sure nga walay mga crowd nga mag gather while these religious exercises are done. We cannot afford to be complacent,” he added.
(That’s why police, city disaster personnel, in health services, we’ll have to make sure that there will be no crowd gathering while these religious exercises are being done. We cannot afford to be complacent.)