Suspension of Masses in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor

It was announced that six districts under the state of Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur would be placed under the Movement Control Order (MCO) effective May 6, 2021 for Selangor and May 7 for Kuala Lumpur.

May 10, 2021

It was announced that six districts under  the state of Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur would be placed  under the Movement Control Order  (MCO) effective May 6, 2021 for Selangor and May 7 for Kuala Lumpur.

Although the MKN SOP permits activities in non-Muslim places of worship,  His Grace, Most Reverend Archbishop  Julian Leow D.D., is cognisant of the following worrying developments: alarming figures of new infections, escalating  rate of infectivity, utilisation of hospital  beds and ICU approaching maximum capacity in the Klang Valley. Furthermore,  he notes that inter-district travel restrictions will impede the movement of parishioners and volunteers to the various  churches, chapels and Mass Centres.

1.0 After having consulted the Archdiocesan Crisis Management Task Force, it  is the decision of His Grace to temporarily suspend all public Masses in parishes  located within Kuala Lumpur and the  state of Selangor with effect from Friday,  May 7, 2021 until further notice.

2.0 These additional protocols are to  be observed for all parishes located in  Selangor and Kuala Lumpur:

2.1. Parish Offices - At the discretion of the parish priest/ administrator, parish offices may remain open  with additional precautionary measures, e.g. shorter opening hours, shift  work among staff, no over-counter  transactions etc.

2.2. Weddings - Scheduled weddings may proceed with a maximum  number of 30 persons (inclusive of  minister, couple, and witnesses). All  attendees should be preregistered.

2.3. Funerals - Parlours in churches  may be opened. There should be no  in-person communal prayers (which  could be done via ZOOM) and private prayers within the parlour are  limited to not more than five persons  at any one time. Funeral Masses  may be celebrated with a maximum  number of 30 persons. All guests and  family members should be preregistered.

2.4. Baptisms are to be postponed  except in the case of an emergency.

2.5. Anointing of the Sick shall be  reserved for urgent cases. All home  communion by extraordinary ministers of holy communion will be suspended until further notice.

2.6. Confessions can be heard by  way of private appointment with the  priest.

2.7. Masses will continue to be  live-streamed from various parishes. The links can be found on  TV.ArchKL.org. Parishes conducting live-streaming should not have  more than 10 volunteers present at  any Mass. The Archbishop has also  dispensed the faithful from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays  and holy days of obligation.

3.0 Other States - for parishes located within Negeri Sembilan, Pahang  and Terengganu, the status quo is maintained and public Masses will continue  as scheduled.

As our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has  called us to pray for an end to this pandemic, let us not cease in invoking God’s  intervention and seeking our Lady’s intercession as we pray the Holy Rosary  during this month of May.

Fr Michael Chua
Chancellor Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur
May 5, 2021

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