Catholic officials in Hong Kong have been forced to cancel all Church programs for the next two weeks and cancel the Ash Wednesday liturgy due to the growing threat of the coronavirus.
All public Masses on Sundays and weekdays from February 15-28 and the liturgy of Ash Wednesday have been suspended, said Cardinal John Tong, apostolic administrator of Hong Kong, in a pastoral letter.
The decision comes amid global fears that the epidemic, called COVID-19, has worsened in China, which shares open borders with Hong Kong, against the expectations of experts.
Ash Wednesday is scheduled for February 26 this year. However, no public celebrations will take place, while the celebration of the rite of the Christian initiation of adults has been postponed until the solemnity of Pentecost on May 31.
“Some Church members may be disappointed”, said the Cardinal in his message, adding that the move was “not an easy decision” to make. He stressed in his message that the faithful must “deepen our trust in God and implement our Christian love for our neighbours and all people”.
“At this difficult time, everyone should not panic,” he said. “In the community, we can help one another, share anti-epidemic materials, live the Gospel virtues of faith, hope and love, and pray for each other.”
Obligation
Cardinal Tong advised Catholics to fulfil their Mass obligation by participating in Mass online, receiving Holy Communion spiritually, meditating on the Scriptures and saying the Rosary at home.
Hong Kong, which has 400,000 Catholics, has reported 50 confirmed cases and one death, with hundreds under self-isolation or observation.
As a densely populated city-state of 7.4 million people, the region is on high alert to monitor the virus as thousands have crossed over from mainland China to escape infection.
Efforts to arrest the outbreak include setting up a slew of mass quarantine camps to isolate victims of the virus. So far, around 2,200 people have been placed in these camps.
The mandatory quarantine rules, which took effect on February 8, required people arriving from the mainland to be quarantined for up to 14 days to curb outbreaks in the community.