No congregations on Good Friday, Easter

LAHORE:Christian community in the City has announced that no congregation would be held on the eve of Good Friday and Easter in the wake of corona threat. This decision was announced in a meeting of clergy from Christianity chaired by CCPO Zulfiqar Hameed.

The meeting was also attended by DIG Operations Rai Babar Saeed, SSP Operations Muhammad Naveed, SP Security Bilal Zafar, Bishop of Lahore Irfan Jamil, Bishop Subastian, Reverend Dr Majid Able and other Christian leaders. The Christian community decided that instead of gatherings, the followers would join services through video link or online streaming. Recordings of prayer ceremonies will be released on the Internet so that Christian communities can perform rituals while sitting at home.

The CCPO praised the Christian community for adopting thought of national unity and solidarity, saying that efforts for live telecast on state TV would be materialised. “Good Friday and Easter are big festivals for Christians, but in the context of Corona pandemic no risk of congregations can be taken,” said the CCPO.

“Message of unity, solidarity, prevention and message of hope should be delivered form the platform of church,” he appealed. At the meeting, Bishop Irfan Jamil also administered prayer for the end of the corona disaster.

Meanwhile, all the churches in Punjab will remain closed and no prayers will be held in them so long as the emergency prevails due to corona. This was decided in a meeting held in Cathedral to assess the corona situation under the leadership of Minister Human Rights and Minority Affairs Ijaz Alam Augustine.

MPA Haroon Imran Gill, Arch Bishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, Bishop Irfan Jamil, Rev Dr Majid Abel, Pastor Shaukat Anwar Fazal and Pastor Liaquat Qaiser were there among other church officials. The government allows online prayer though.