JAKARTA (UCAN): Catholic and Protestant leaders in Indonesia issued guidelines stressing simple and short church services this Christmas as the country continues to battle the Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic.
The guidelines were a response to a circular issued by the Religious Affairs Ministry late last month instructing Christians to hold “simple Christmas celebrations” in their churches with smaller congregations.
Churches as places of worship “must set a good example to prevent the spread of Covid-19,” ministry said.
Father Samuel Pangestu, vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Jakarta announced that “Christmas Eve Masses can be celebrated twice on December 24 and Christmas Masses can be celebrated twice on December 25 by parishes which have held public Masses over at least four consecutive Sundays.”
Many churches in the archdiocese reopened for Sunday Masses in July, limiting congregations to 20 per cent of their capacities.
The number of Covid-19 cases in Indonesia has continued to rise since then. As of December 8, the country had recorded 581,550 cases and 17,867 deaths.
Suggesting that the duration of each Christmas Mass should be up to an hour, Father Pangestu said: “The spirit of the Eucharistic celebration amid the Covid-19 pandemic is simple and short, and involves only a small number of liturgical servants.”
He said, “To support the government’s effort in preventing the spread of Covid-19, Catholics in Jakarta Archdiocese are urged not to return to their hometowns or go to crowded places for the sake of common safety.”
Similar measures and requests came from the Diocese of Ruteng in East Nusa Tenggara province.
