CBCN SUSPENDS ALL WEDDINGS TO CURB CORONAVIRUS

CBCN SUSPENDS ALL WEDDINGS TO CURB CORONAVIRUS

It is said that a toad don’t run in the day for nothing and this could adjudged the reason why the Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), for the first time in the history of the Church in Nigeria, suspends Marriages and her other Church related activities.

Just like the executive arm of any government, CBCN is a body housing all the Catholic Bishops in Nigeria and provides guidelines on how the Church in Nigeria should operate; things they should do and those to avoid and these give reasons why the Church have adopted the rule by the body, under the leadership of Most. Rev. Fr. Augustine Obiora Akubueze, the Archebishop of Benin city, Edo State.

In a circular sent by Archbishop Akubueze on Saturday to all Catholic Parishes in the country, the Bishops have agreed to suggest that all Parishes across the federation, should suspend all wedding Masses and subsequent ceremonies involved in the process.

This agreement is reached by the CBCN to support efforts by the Federal government to combat the rampaging corona virus (COVID-19), which is gradually taking over major cities of the country as well as rural communities.

This issue has equally brought about changes in the churches liturgy like the sign of peace which involved hand shaking and hugging. Some of the Churches like St. Peter’s Chaplaincy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has even gone ahead to make plans on seating positions for Masses, reducing it to three per church pew, a seat that contains about seven to eight persons.

Recall that some other Catholic churches in Europe, like Italy has suspended all public Masses and gatherings because of the same virus disease.

The Church in Nigeria in praying that the virus don’t spread its tentacles the more, has equally decided to take precautions in line with Federal government directives.