Pastoral letter from the Catholic Bishops of Malaysia in view of the extension of the Movement Control Order

Pastoral letter from the Catholic Bishops of Malaysia in view of the extension of the Movement Control Order

Mar 29, 2020

To the Clergy, Consecrated Persons and Lay Faithful,

We trust that all of you have been praying hard that this pandemic, which has afflicted the entire world and has brought so many disruptions in our daily lives, will finally be contained and brought under control. It appears that the battle has only just begun, and just as the Christian life is not a single event but an entire life’s struggle, we too must soldier on as we do our part to mitigate the spread of this infection, avoid further fatalities and prevent it from overwhelming our healthcare system.

As your Pastors we want to assure you of our closeness to you during these challenging times. We urge the parishes, the different ministries and the BECs to be present and to  reach out to all, especially the most vulnerable, whoever they may be. Although we may not be able to physically comfort you, you are close to our hearts.

As our Prime Minister has announced today, the period of restricted movement under the Movement Control Order (MCO) has been extended to April 14, 2020.  This extension unavoidably coincides with the holiest season in our Church’s liturgical calendar, Holy Week.

In view of the restrictions placed under the extension of the MCO and the prohibitions of public gatherings, we, the arch/bishops of the three archdioceses and six dioceses of Malaysia, hereby decree that the liturgical celebrations until April 14, 2020, including those of Holy Week, will be celebrated without the congregations by the priests of  the various arch/dioceses.

In conjunction with the decree issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments dated 19th March 2020, the Catholic Bishops of Malaysia have agreed to adopt the liturgical norms set out in the Appendix.

Dear People of God, although you have been patiently waiting and praying for a resolution to this present crisis, we humbly ask you to wait a little longer. Let us continue to plead for God’s mercy, make reparation for our sins and ask for His intervention, not only for ourselves but also for all who have been affected by this pandemic, including the frontline health professionals and security personnel and all those who continue to ensure that our essential services and supply lines are open and available. On this Solem nity of the Annunciation, let us learn from Mary to trust in God’s providence.

Lent is a season which challenges us to die to ourselves so that we may live in the glory of the Resurrection. As this Sunday’s gospel reading speaks of Our Lord Jesus Christ raising Lazarus from death, let us not fall into the embrace of despair, let us resist the dark of hopelessness as we fall back on the One who has conquered death by His Death, the One who assures us, “I am the resurrection. Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies, will live.” (John 11:25)

On behalf of the Archbishops and Bishops of the Conference, I would like to wish you a blessed Holy Week.

Given on this day, the 25th of March 2020 in the year of the Lord, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.

Total Comments:0

Name
Email
Comments