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| The piligrims were putting candles on the cross of Jesus, Credit BBC/Congkasae.com |
the Good Friday procession which has become a tradition for Catholics to celebrate Easter.
The cancellation of the event known as Semana Santa was carried out to prevent transmission of the corona virus (Covid-19).
The vicar general of the Larantuka diocese, Gabriel Unto da SIlva, said that the decision to cancel the implementation of the Good Friday procession in 2020 had been delivered by Bishop Frans Kopong Kung Pr of Larantuka on Friday (23/3).
According to him, the Semana Santa Celebration Committee, the Larantuka Kingdom, the conferia Reinha Rosari, the parish priest, and the East Flores Regional Government have agreed to cancel the Semana Santa.
"There has been a decision that the Good Friday procession or what is commonly known as the Semana Santa tradition this year was canceled considering that there is currently a corona virus," Gabriel said as quoted by CNN on Monday (3/23).
According to him, the cancellation should not be interpreted as leaving the Catholic church tradition.
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| One of the semana santa procession, Credit BBC/Congkasae.com |
"We do not violate tradition and do not underestimate tradition. We want to give new meaning to our tradition which has lasted for hundreds of years in a concrete situation today," Gabriel said.
He added, the Semana Santa celebration with special devotions that are usually done in Larantuka, Wureh, Konga, and many other places was also canceled this year.
The Palm Sunday celebration with a palm-leaf procession and the kiss of the cross are also abolished, due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
However, Easter night mass and Easter mass will continue to be held at the Cathedral, but without the presence of the people.
Catholics are asked to carry out worship at home by reading the rosary and pondering the contents of the holy book.
Larantuka diocese also appealed to Catholics in their area to not be panic and to continue praying to God for the end of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Deputy Regent of East Flores, Agus Boli said that the decision to cancel was extraordinary.
"We learned from Italy that cases of patients and human deaths due to corona virus a day reached 800 deaths, because the community was negligent and opposed the government's attitude regarding social distancing or social isolation of less than 20 people, or keeping a distance of one meter from other people," Agus Boli said as a quoted by Tempo .
Therefore, he hopes that the people of East Flores and Indonesia must unite to fight the corona virus.
Author: Antonius Rahu
