Security tight in churches for Ash Wednesday

Police on Tuesday night tightened security in churches in preparation for Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of the Lenten season for millions of Filipino Catholics. In Manila, radio dzXL reported the Manila Police District deployed police teams to keep watch over major churches in the city, including Quiapo Church and Manila Cathedral in Intramuros. The police said the deployment was more of a precaution against petty thieves and criminals who may take advantage of the occasion to steal bags and belongings of Catholic faithful going to church. Meanwhile, as millions of Catholics start observing the 40-day Lenten period on Wednesday, the Manila archdiocese urged its faithful to engage in fasting and in feeding the poor during the season. Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales appealed for support for the archdiocese’s “Hapag-Asa" program by having the faithful give to it the food money they saved from fasting. “We appeal to you to support Hapag-asa in its efforts to care for hungry and malnourished children of our parishes. We encourage you to give to the HAPAG-ASA what had been set aside from your fasting," he said in a pastoral letter to be read in churches in the archdiocese on Ash Wednesday. The text of the pastoral letter was posted on the Manila Archdiocese Web site. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the most important period in the Church calendar. Rosales noted that during this time, prayer, giving alms and fasting are three penitential practices that Christians are called upon to do to better celebrate Easter. - KBK, GMANews.TV