Joy and celebration in Tombura-Yambio Diocese as places of worship reopen

The news of the reopening of worship places in Western Equatorial has been received with joy and celebrations and faithful express their gladness that God has finally answered their prayers.

 On Sunday, August 16, Governor Alfred Futuyo of Western Equatoria State while addressing Christians at All Saints Cathedral, Timbiro Said that people are allowed to go back to their places of worship as long as they adhere to the necessary preventive measures towards prevention of the spread of coronavirus.

 The governor emphasized the importance of following all the measures set by the ministry of health to combat the spread of the virus among them includes regular handwashing with water and soap and keeping a distance.

 The governor’s pronouncement was in line with the resolution of the conference held a week ago between religious leaders and the president of the Republic of South Sudan. During the conference, president Kiir promised religious leaders that his office will consider loosening the restrictions in regards to places of worship.

 On Saturday, August 15, Catholics all over the world celebrated the solemnity of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In South Sudan the occasion can be said to have come at the right time because faithful were allowed to attend Mass Services at their places of worship and as such many indeed celebrated the day happily in their churches which were quarterly filled.

 On August 4^th the Catholic Bishop of Tombura-Yambio, Rt. Rev. Barani Edwardo Hiiboro Kussala issued a communiqué in his sixth Pastoral Letter to the Diocese with directives on necessary precautions to prevent the possible spread of the virus during church services. These included observing a distance of at least one and a half meters apart while sitting or standing or in a queue. The Bishop also decreed that the liturgy be simplified in the ways previously directed e.g. no Gospel procession, procession of gifts, group of choirs singing, or collection plates.

 Barani Hiiboro also instructed that hand sanitizer or water and soap should be widely available and used especially by ministers and that churches should be disinfected in accordance with National Health Department guidelines. He also ordered that holy water is removed from stoups in those parishes where these practices are observed and the elements for the Eucharist should be protected from contamination before, during, and after the Mass with a lid or pall.

 Bishop Hiiboro also directed that congregational singing be suspended and thus hymn-books or sheets should not be distributed. As for the reception of Holy Communion, he directed that this be on the hand and is to be done by “making a throne for the king with our hands.” He further directed that great care should be taken when necessarily exercising the option of Communion on the tongue; while clergy should receive Holy Communion under both kinds from the sacrifice confected at that Mass, the faithful shall only receive the Body of Christ.

 The Bishop further indicated that ministers should receive particular instruction on sanitation and contact details of all those entering the church in at any given time. This is in order to keep a proper record so that in an event of an outbreak, contact tracing would be easy.

 And taking these measures, churches in Western Equatoria could be seen with buckets containing water and soap at the entrances, an indication that the church leaders are in full support of actions towards preventing the coronavirus from spreading.

 At St. Mary’s Church in Yambio for example, where many turned out for Saturday’s celebrations, a big black water tank was strategically placed at the entrance of the main church, filled with water, and soap and parishioners were compelled to wash their hands well before going in for the service.

 In March the government of South Sudan suspended all religious gatherings, political rallies, cultural activities, and schools, among others as a way of combating COVID 19.