Four Months “of spiritual, emotional difficulty, the Lord by our side”: Nigerian Prelate

Lagos State has over 15,000 cases of the diseases including 192 deaths, the largest share of Nigeria’s 45,244 confirmed cases. 

On August 1, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu eased the restriction on public worship thus allowing Churches and Mosques to resume services from August 7.

While expressing his joy over the resumption of Masses, Archbishop Adewale cautions the Clergy, Religious and Lay Faithful under his care against “letting down our guards because the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much with us.”

The 61-year-old Nigerian Prelate adds in reference to the coronavirus, “We must just learn to live with it so that as we move on with our lives we also do our best and make the best possible efforts to remain safe and healthy.”

Among the raft of measures to guide public worship, which the Archbishop outlines for the Archdiocese of Lagos in his August 7 statement are having public Mass for “Sundays only” and Parishes to “admit only 50 percent of the capacity of their church buildings for each Mass.”

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“Parishes must have a record of attendance at every Mass, which should show name, age, sex, address and telephone/email of parishioners present at each Mass in case of need for contact tracing,” Archbishop Adewale directs.

He further directs that “only Priests should celebrate Mass without wearing face masks” and that “Holy Communion should be given without the words by the Priests since face masks will not be worn.”

The Local Ordinary of Lagos also dispenses those above 65 years of age from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass and adds that “special considerations” be given to this group of the faithful (those above 65) should they wish to attend Mass. 

“A particular Mass should be set aside for the elderly ones and if more convenient, the front pews should be reserved for them,” the Archbishop says and adds, “Children below the age of 12 to stay back to worship from home for the next 8 weeks.”

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.