Church tradition goes online, gathers 40k hits

A centuries-old Catholic tradition was transformed into an online edition this year for the many Filipinos around the world who could not physically perform the Visita Iglesia, a religious tour of seven churches on Maundy Thursday. The virtual Visita Iglesia site set up by Catholic bishops was mobbed with over 40,000 visits by early Saturday, slowing down the site.

At 7:15 a.m. on Saturday, visitors to the site hit the 40,000 mark, as indicated on the counter of the Visita Iglesia site set up by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). Much of the traffic came on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, causing the site to slow down. The online Visita Iglesia is a multimedia experience, with photos of famous churches such as the Manila Cathedral and Quiapo church, and audio recordings of solemn prayers led by a voice that sounds like a priest. On Thursday, the CBCP admitted it did not expect traffic to its Visita Iglesia site to be that heavy. “We’re not prepared for such big viewership. But we are trying to make bandwidth adjustments," CBCP spokesman Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III said. The heavy traffic to the site had also slowed down the CBCP's main website, and news site. The CBCP launched the online Visita Iglesia to reach those who might not be able to make it to church this Holy Week for whatever reason. Quitorio stressed the site is primarily intended for those who are sick and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) working in non-Catholic countries. —LBG/HGS, GMANews.TV