THE Archdiocese of Cebu has opened cemeteries under its jurisdiction to non-Roman Catholic individuals who died from coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, in Circular 18/21 that was issued by the Archdiocese on August 27, said that in instances where non-Catholics have died because of Covid-19 and there are no more vacant burial slots in their own respective cemeteries, "I take it as an act of charity to allow their burial in our Roman Catholic cemeteries during these times of pandemic."
But Palma suggested that proper consultations must be made first with Church authorities in case there are other issues about the matter.
“We are all aware of the rising Covid cases in Metro Cebu, as well as in the Province recently. Sadly, some of the severe cases led to untimely deaths of our loved ones and consequently, affecting the availability of burial slots in our cemeteries,” Palma said.
Cebu City has four Catholic cemeteries. These are located in Barangays Barrio Luz, Talamban, Carreta, and Calamba.
Earlier, the Archdiocese of Cebu approved the plan of the Cebu City Government to construct more than 1,000 niches in these cemeteries for people who succumbed to Covid-19.
The Archdiocese will allocate 140 square meters of cemetery space, while the City Government will be the one to allocate budget on the construction of the niches.
The Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas, on Wednesday, September 1, logged 76 additional deaths among Covid-19 patients in Cebu.
Of these, a total of 15 were recorded in Cebu City, one in Mandaue City, and 60 in Cebu Province.
The DOH-Central Visayas, however, said these additional deaths did not occur due to overnight spike in deaths but to a more accurate validation of data. These deaths include deaths that occurred more than a week ago.
Palma urged the faithful to continuously pray for those who are sick and to continuously observe the prescribed minimum health protocols, such as wearing of face mask and observing physical distancing. (WBS)