In the second option, the member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) says, “The Priest, wearing his face-mask, uses a new disposal spoon to distribute the ashes in silence while the faithful receive it in their left palms and sign themselves with their right hands.”
In the case of the second option, Archbishop Kwofie says, “the distribution of ashes should be done post-communion.”
Other fresh directives involve weddings and funerals, crusades and pilgrimages, and catechism.
In his statement, the Local Ordinary of Accra permits “only private burials at the cemetery with a maximum of twenty-five (25) people” and directs that “parish/church halls or compounds are strictly not allowed for wedding parties and funeral gatherings.”
In addition, “there shall be no extra sitting arrangements (under canopies) outside the church building,” he says.
Archbishop Kwofie has also suspended all gatherings after funeral and wedding Masses in accordance with the January 31 directives on COVID-19 issued by the country’s President Nana Akuffo-Addo.
Ghana has recorded 69,255 cases of COVID-19 including 440 deaths and 62,729 recoveries.
The Archbishop of Accra encourages that catechism classes within the Archdiocese resume “provided all the required protocols can be observed” and adds, “Resumption of catechism classes may depend on each parochial circumstance.”
“Even where it is adjudged appropriate to resume catechism lessons, only children of ages ten (10) years and above may attend the classes, and only after the children and their parents have been given the required orientation and the protocols put in place,” the 62-year-old Archbishop says.
He further directs that liturgical celebrations including Holy Eucharist take a maximum of two hours.
