RP Catholic parishes adjust Mass schedules for clergy meet

Catholic parish churches have adjusted schedules in their liturgical celebrations for the next five days as priests prepare to attend a national congress for the clergy which will be held in Pasay City this coming week. In Manila, masses and confessions will be done only in the morning -- no more for noon, afternoon and evening. Priests announced the temporary schedules to their parishioners during Sunday’s masses.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said the priests will attend the second National Congress of the Clergy from Jan. 25 to 29. “The cancellation of regular masses also means that weddings and other liturgical rites such as baptisms and confession will also temporarily be suspended so that priests could attend the gathering," the CBCP said on its advisory posted last week on it news site. Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales had said that in the absence of priests, lay ministers will administer the Holy Communion to the faithful and bless the dead during the five-day period. Rosales said some 8,000 priests and 6,000 clergymen are expected to attend the nationwide gathering in Manila. Rosales also said the cancellation of masses in the morning aims to let people realize priests also have their need for solitude and prayer. On the other hand, Rosales said masses in Metro Manila will also be adjusted for his priests to attend the congress. “Those in Metro Manila and nearby provinces will just hold early Masses," he said. - LBG, GMANews.TV,