– Marco Carvalho
The decision, made by the Diocese of Macau to close all the Churches and to suspend religious services and celebrations, helped to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in the SAR and should be seen as an example to other religious confessions, José Tavares argues. A practicing Catholic, the president of the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) spoke to O CLARIM and welcomed the partial re-opening of the Churches after a month of closure.
Over the weekend, the Diocese of Macau announced the decision to partially reopen parish churches starting from tomorrow, even though the Sunday Mass remains suspended. According to the instructions issued by Bishop Stephen Lee, parish churches will open their doors on weekdays “for liturgies with a small number of participants, for private prayers and small-scale religious activities”. The faithful – and every other visitor who enters the churches – must wear masks permanently, allow their body temperature to be checked, disinfect their hands and place themselves at a considerable distance from other people when inside the temples, the Diocese explains.
Caution continues to guide the Catholic Church’s position and the approach deserves the applause of the president of the Municipal Affairs Bureau: “It was not an easy decision to be taken. It was a well-weighted decision, taken at a time when there was a risk of contagion to the whole community, after three local cases had been diagnosed, Mr. Tavares recalls. “The decision was also important for other reasons: the way the Catholic Church acted was an example to other religions, which ended up canceling some festivities and advised people not to go to temples and pagodas, for instance. We served as an example and that example was very positive”, the president of IAM claims.
José Tavares welcomes, nevertheless, the measures announced by the Diocese of Macau. He considers that the Churches are, par excellence, the places where the local Catholics can fully live their faith: “Although perfectly justified, the closure of the churches during this last month influenced the way Catholics live their faith. I usually participate actively in the Eucharist. I do some of the readings but, when I watch the Mass in the television, I just sit in front of a screen, even though the intention to participate is the same. The decision of the Diocese was, however, very wise and the transmissions made by TDM are quite good”, the president of IAM points out.
The opinion is shared by Elias Colaço, a member of the small community of Goa, Daman and Diu based in the Special Administrative Region, for whom the partial reopening of the local Churches will reconcile the faithful with a more intimate experience of their faith: “For the Catholic community, these are indeed good news. The Church is a temple and it makes no sense that the temple is not open to its community”, he maintains. “When I mention the community I am not talking only about the Catholic community. Anyone who needs or desires a moment of recollection can and must enter a Church, because Churches are recollection spaces. The failure to do so is due to a strong reason, indeed. As a Catholic, I must recognize that the attitude of the Diocese was very correct”, Mr. Colaço admits.
At the beginning of February, the small community of Goa, Daman and Diu anticipated the contingency measures announced by the Diocese, by canceling the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Candelaria, days before the Diocese decided to close Macau’s Catholic temples. The decision, Elias Colaço explains, was announced by the community after extensive consideration. It turned out to be the most correct, given the pragmatism with which the local Catholic Church faced the threat of the new coronavirus: “The sadness of not holding the celebration does not and cannot override the responsibility that we have as a community and that is not to promote unpleasant situations”, he argues. “We were facing a very delicate situation. We were aware of what was happening next door in Mainland China. Everything suggested that we should not go ahead with the festivity, at the risk of leaving a mark of irresponsibility, which is not at all our stance as members of Macau’s society”, Elias Colaço stresses.
Confession and Lent
More than a month later, Macau faces the threat of the new coronavirus with a restrained optimism and the Diocese takes a similar stand. In addition to order the partial opening of parish churches, Bishop Stephen Lee gave instructions for parish priests to deliver the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a measure that is seen by José Basto da Silva as particularly important: “I think it is especially important for those who want to prepare themselves better for Lent. Christ was killed; he died on the Cross, to save us from our sins. This is the appropriate time for a Catholic to confess with an open heart, with sincere regret and a sense of correction”, the President of the Association of Former Students of the Commercial School Pedro Nolasco admits.
Whoever attends the Mass in the Cathedral and, sometimes, in other churches in Macau is not indifferent to José Basto da Silva’s voice. A reader and a psalmist, he saw his involvement in the daily life of the Church greatly reduced, but the contingency measures enacted by the Diocese did not alter, he guarantees, the way he assumes his faith: “I followed essentially the Mass through the Internet. I felt that the community became more connected thanks to the social networks. I must say, however, that I did not experience my faith better or worse. I just changed some of the habits I had”, he explains. “The reopening of the churches is certainly good news. Mass is a feast for the Catholics, an instance where we are reunited with God. It is a time when we purge and soothe our soul. We are all sinners and the Holy Eucharist is an important apport on our journey towards sanctification”, José Basto da Silva assumes.
In the Curia published last weekend, the Diocese clarifies that the catechesis of children remains suspended, as well as the reception of pilgrims from abroad and the celebration of Masses in nursing homes and in the chapels of religious communities. In Armindo Vaz’ opinion, the way the Catholic Church acted in Macau showed and continues to show sensibility and a great sense of responsibility: “The way the Diocese acted, when it decided to close the Churches and suspend all activities that involved contact between people was very brave, but also very responsible and sensible. It was all about protecting people’s lives, which is the greatest and most important gift”, he claims. “I am sad that the procession of the Passion of our Lord, the God Jesus, which is a 300 years old tradition, has not taken place. But I understand and respect the decision ”, the BNU manager concludes.
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