Ecuador: Catholic Church
prepares plan for gradual reopening
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| Man walking by a church closed due to pandemic in Quito, Ecuador (ANSA) |
The Episcopal Conference of Ecuador releases a statement on
5 May detailing its plans for the reopening of Churches in the country.
By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ
The Catholic Church in Ecuador has detailed a safety
protocol for the gradual reopening of churches in the country. The plan will
take place in two phases according to a system of reopening and authorization
created by the Ecuadorian government.
In a document issued on Tuesday by the Ecuadorian Episcopal
Conference, the bishops communicated the biosafety protocol. They also
indicated that the measures are aimed at “safeguarding health as a common good”
during the reopening process, which will lead to a “spiritual reunion” in the
Church.
The two phases, scheduled to be implemented in May and June,
do not provide for “the celebration of Masses, processions, or any grand acts
of expression of faith.” Likewise, the protocol does not permit people older
than sixty years, children younger than twelve, or people with preexisting
health conditions to participate in the protocol measures at this time.
On 12 April, the Ecuadorian government created a traffic
light system to measure the risk of contagion and spread of the Covid-19 virus.
The colour red indicates areas with the highest risk; orange, areas under consideration
for change; and green, areas with the least danger of infection.
Phase one
The first phase concerns churches, parishes and regions
indicated as red and yellow.
The protocol indicates that from the end of May, these
churches will be open only for personal prayer and access will be limited to a
maximum of twenty minutes at a time. The faithful can also come for the
Sacrament of Reconciliation in the church or other sufficiently large places.
People are encouraged to maintain a distance of one and a half metres from each
other.
Phase two
The second phase applies to churches indicated as yellow or
green. This will be implemented in June.
Churches in this category will respect the same provisions
in phase one. However, there is the possibility of reception of Holy Communion
without Mass for those who request it, following the precautionary protocols
established by health authorities.
Covid-19 in Ecuador
Ecuador is the fourth most affected country in Latin
America. The latest reports put the number of confirmed cases at 31,881, with
1,569 deaths and 3,433 recovered patients.
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