Abuja, 20 May, 2020 / 4:47 am (ACI Africa).
As places of worship remain closed in Nigeria as one of the measures in Africa’s most populous country to curb the possible spread of COVID-19, the Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama has appealed to the Federal government to allow Christians to participate in public Mass on Pentecost Sunday, May 31 while observing specific guidelines.
“With every sense of responsibility therefore, we request that by the 31st of May, that is the Feast of Pentecost, our people should be allowed to congregate for worship, but according to the norms of social distancing and the strict adherence of personal hygiene,” Archbishop Kaigama said Sunday, May 17.
The Nigerian Prelate who was addressing the congregation during Holy Mass at Sacred Heart Parish Abuja reiterated, “After a prolonged stay at home, with the Church impeded in her mission to worship, to evangelize and to serve the poor, many religious adherents are pressurizing that, keeping in mind their readiness to observe all the rules about social distancing, hand washing, face mask, avoiding big and uncontrolled crowds and so on, they should be allowed to engage in public religious worship.”
The 61-year-old Prelate also said Christians are ready “to submit themselves to the disciplinary measures prescribed for participating in worship during this coronavirus era.”
He added, “Religious leaders are also ready to ensure strict adherence to the guidelines provided by the government and the National Center for Disease Control and no religious leaders should lead their flock to violate or breach what is in the interests of the common welfare.”
