COVID-19: Lira diocese cancels baptism on easter

Lira, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Lira Diocese announced that the holy ritual of baptism will not take place on Easter Day following the outbreak of the COVID -19.

Rt. Rev. Sanctus Lino Wanok, the Bishop of Lira Diocese announced on Sunday that this year, there will be no baptism on Easter. He said this while addressing Christians on Sunday over Radio Wa 89.8fm.

He went ahead to cancel the move of offering the sacrament of penance over the phone saying it’s not proper. 

“And we are not allowing any administration of penance over phone because of the trickery of recording. This sacrament needs no body to record it so nobody should administer sacrament on the phone,” he warned. 

Baptism on Easter Sunday is particularly significant because according to the Christian faith, that’s the day Jesus Christ returned to life and to many it is “to walk with Christ and be closer to Christ.” 

Meanwhile, earlier on during his homily, the Bishop said this year’s Palm Sunday is a special and unique where the pandemic has taken the whole World with surprise, taking the Lenten period into quarantine. 

He said the disease wants everybody to reconcile and pray together as a family instead of betraying each other. 

He advised that Christians should be united in prayers and consult God in any scientific exploration especially during this time when people are looking for the vaccine against Coronavirus. 

According to the program, this holy week will be celebrated at home. The Chrism Mass which takes place on Wednesday night will be attended by only 3 people on behalf of all the priests. The oils will be consecrated, blessed and delivered to the various parishes. 

During the holy Thursdays and the rest of the vigils, prayers will be conducted earlier than the time which normally used to happen at night. 

All Christians in the Diocese are advised to tune to their radio receivers and those without radio receivers are to say the Rosary, read and share the word of God during that time. 

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