Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes called on the Nicaraguan Catholic congregation to maintain security measures against covid-19 during year-end religious celebrations, for which he recommended “celebrating in a family environment or small groups” and applying biosafety protocols.
“Taking into consideration the responsible attitude of all in favor of take care of health and life, the advancement of vaccination and above all the responsible and creative devotion of our faithful, I want to renew my recommendations given with paternal pastoral solicitude last year for our Marian and Christmas festivities; as a contribution to the control of this pandemic that has left pain and mourning in our families, “said the Catholic hierarch in a press release released this Wednesday.
Among the recommendations given by Cardinal Brenes It is emphasized that the celebration of the novenaries to La Purísima and Niño Dios should be carried out as a family or in small groups and in the temples the use of masks, the application of alcohol and distancing from covid-19 should be maintained
+++ Orientations for Marian and Christmas celebrations 2021 in the Archdiocese of Managua. +++
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– Archdiocesemanagua (@arquimanagua) November 24, 2021
During the Gritería, the cardinal warns, it is necessary to “avoid crowds, reducing the time to visit the altars.” In addition, at Masses during these Marian and Christmas festivities, “they must apply the provisions of sanitary order,” he added to avoid contagion of covid-19
There will be no processions for covid-19
Cardinal Brenes also guided that processions do not take place, vehicular caravans, shepherds, passes and other activities that involve concentration of people, due to a “sense of responsibility” with society and because “it is our contribution to avoid new waves of contagion,” he added.
The parish priests and their pastoral councils will also establish variations in the hours of religious services depending on the reality of each parish.
In the Catholic Church “we continue to make timely and complementary use of communication platforms,” he said.
For the World Day of Peace on January 1, 2022, “I invite you to celebrate it in each parish church with a time of Eucharistic adoration and Holy Mass, meditating on the message of Pope Francis for this occasion:“ Education, work, dialogue between generations. : tools to build a lasting peace ”, Brenes stressed.
Since the first cases of coronavirus were diagnosed in Nicaragua, in March 2020, the Catholic Church has maintained a strict sanitary protocol to avoid infections. However, the disease has left about twenty priests deceased in the last year.
Cardinal Brenes himself was infected with the virus at the end of last August and according to the medical assessment his case was mild and responded positively to treatment.
Despite the fact that in recent weeks the Ministry of Health (Minsa) reports fewer infections of covid-19, like the COVID-19 Citizen Observatory, doctors have insisted on the need to continue taking measures to avoid contagion.
