President John Pombe Magufuli The Church in Tanzania is keeping its doors open while the rest of world closes places of worship to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Thousands of people are turning up for public Masses after a presidential directive stated churches and mosques could remain open so people could seek refuge, according to Church sources.
Other nations in East-Africa have closed their church buildings and ordered their citizens to stay at home.
“The churches are remaining open to act as a spiritual aid, apart from science, in combating the virus,” Fr Chrisantus Ndaga of Bukoba Diocese, who added that all protective measures were being observed.
“People are coming to pray and seek God’s intervention for an end of the pandemic.”
Mosques
President John Pombe Magufuli, who is Catholic, told churches and mosques to continue gathering to praise and glorify God.
“The coronavirus cannot survive in the eucharistic body of Christ. It will soon be burned away,” he was quoted as saying.
Tanzania has kept restrictions low while bolstering resources, preventive and testing measures.
But some politicians and health experts have raised a red flag that the failure to stop church gatherings puts many people at risk.