Maputo, 19 July, 2020 / 3:41 pm (ACI Africa).
Clerics in Mozambique have spoken in response to the announcement to extend the closure of places of worship, which the country’s President made, terming the presidential directive as necessary in curbing the spread of COVID-19 in the Southern African nation.
On Thursday, July 16, President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi directed, during his address to the nation, that “Religious services and other public activities will continue to be closed” and reiterated the need for personal responsibility in combatting COVID-19, with the country having reported at least 1,383 cases, including 9 related deaths and 375 recoveries.
“With the increase in the testing capacity that the country does, it has increased the number of people infected with COVID-19. It makes sense for prudence, to wait another 15 days to understand the state of the evolution of the disease in the country,” Fr. Salvador Bila who is the Director General of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique (CEM) Secretariat told ACI Africa correspondent.
Fr. Salvador underscored the need to “intensify awareness” on COVID-19 among people in rural areas before reopening places of worship saying, “It would not be good for the person to go to the church and return contaminated.”
“The resumption of these activities must be accompanied by faith and spirituality,” he said during the interview and added, “We have to learn and understand what message God wants to transmit to us.”
