Lenten season starts

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO The observance of Ash Wednesday yesterday marks the start of the 40-day Lenten season where Catholics commemorate the life, passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In an interview, Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines President and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David(CBCP) said there were no common guidelines issued for the observance of Ash Wednesday this year and left it to the judgement of individual bishops as the clergy group already issued a special thanksgiving prayer---the “Litany of Gratitude After the Covid-19 pandemic” which replaced the "Oratio Imperata Against Covid-19---prayed in Holy Masses from February 11 and culminated yesterday.

With this, churches in the country, like the Archdiocese of Manila and the Diocese of Kalibo have reminded priests, the clergy and the religious that the marking of faithful foreheads with ashes is again allowed and will no longer sprinkle ashes on the crown as practiced during the observances of the start of Lent in the past years during the height of the pandemic which included the giving of small plastic sachets containing ashes to the faithful, the wearing of face masks, and refraining from holding hands, as church gatherings were limited by the government in 2020 and 2021.

Last year, however, priests were allowed to revert to the imposition of ashes on the forehead of the faithful during Ash Wednesday while sprinkling of ashes on the crown remained an option, according to recommendations issued by the Episcopal Commission on Liturgy.

And this year, the phrase "remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return" uttered before the imposition of ashes was done for every faithful and no longer en masse but the self-imposition of ashes was strongly discouraged by the Church, and instead, the return to in-person liturgical celebrations and to receive ashes in the context of the Mass was strongly encouraged.

The clergy has also been reminded to make available the sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance throughout the season of Lent and for the faithful to be informed of the days and the time for Confessions and be encouraged to bring back the usual practice of Via Crucis outside the church.