Photo: Roy Lagarde, 2017 Bishops in the Philippines have joined civil authorities in inviting the faithful to pray for doctors and health workers who are “on the frontline” fighting against the coronavirus (Covid-19).
President Rodrigo Duterte declared the fourth week of March ‘National Prayer Week’ to spiritually unite Filipinos of all faiths and religions amid the threat of Covid-19.
“Let us pray for the strength and endurance of our outstanding frontline medical professionals and health professionals, and staff dealing with the current threat of the virus, and for all Filipinos who work tirelessly to protect our communities by sacrificing their lives at the service of the country,” he said.
Bishop Ruperto Santos, head of the Balanga Diocese, urged all priests and religions to pray for all those who are trying to prevent the spread of the virus.
Intercession
“We implore our Lord through the intercession of Saint Joseph, patron saint of workers, to protect them and keep them away from any harm,” he said.
The Bishop of Caloocan, Pablo Virgilio David, the vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), called for prayers and invited the faithful to become “warriors of prayer”.
“It does not matter whether you are a Muslim, Buddhist, Catholic or Protestant, you can join in praying fervently that God will protect those who put their lives in danger to protect us from this devastating plague,” he said.