What is the shape of the Church and ministry to come in the post-Covid era?

(Armel R. Collantes, SMM)

Part I- Analysis of the Church before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was towards the end 2019 when we started hearing about the Corona Virus which
started at Wuhan, China. Our government as well as the Church have tried their best in informing
all of us the possibility of the spreading of the virus. But it is just that only towards the early
months of 2020 that the threat has becoming very alarming because we still allow entry of
foreigners inside our country and there is still no strict implementation of sanitary and
precautionary measures to combat the spread of the virus. Our Church Leaders, especially our
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), has issued the guidelines and Oratio
Imperata on 2019 Novel Corona Virus dated January 29, 2020. It was addressed to all the
Bishops of the Different Dioceses in the Philippines and Diocesan Administrators. CBCP
President, Bishop Romulo Valles, urged the faithful to be united in prayer and follow the
guidelines. All parishes were exhorted to pray the Oratio in all of the weekday and Sunday
Masses after Holy Communion, kneeling down which was started on February 2, 2020, Feast of
the Presentation of the Lord. In our formation house, we also started to pray the Oratio on
February 2 and we have prayed it thrice a day, one during the Mass in the morning and within
the Rosary in the morning and in the evening.
The church has also continually reminding the faithful to heed the health
recommendations of the medical experts so that we can prevent the acquisition of the virus. The
highlights of the recommendations of our CBCP includes receiving Holy Communion in the
Hand, checking regularly the Holy Water from the fonts, providing protective cloths on the grills
of the confessionals, discouraging the faithful from holding hands during Our Father and from
shaking of hands during the Sign of Peace. The Church has become more united in this time, in
prayers and in doing the possible health precautions not just for one but for the sake of the whole
people of God.
Until such time came, that, the government through our President Rodrigo Duterte had
declared the Enhanced Community Quarantine to start on March 15,2020, that the church has
issued another set of guidelines especially for Holy Week celebrations dated March 20,2020.
Due to this Enhanced Community Quarantine and that social distancing is really a necessity to
stem the transmission of the virus, the celebrations will still go on but with the absence of the
faithful, meaning to say, every parishes in the dioceses will have to live stream their liturgical
celebrations especially Holy Masses, the “Misa Sine Populo”. Celebrations were made simpler
and some parts were omitted. Hygiene protocols and sanitations were also implemented
especially in the churches or spaces of liturgy. This was also patterned with the Vatican’s
guidelines which was issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments on March 25, 2020, updating the previous decree last March 19,2020.
During this pandemic, where people are to only celebrate the Eucharist through live
streaming, and receive Holy Communion spiritually. This pandemic has been challenging our
Church today to rekindle the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The Church who is wide open to
welcome the people especially those who hunger and thirst for the Lord, in the Eucharist, and
now they can not even go inside to pray and attend Holy Mass, and other liturgical celebrations. I

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have come to reflect on this very big challenge as a Church we are facing. From this spiritual
communion we have received also, we may be able to share it to others. The Church nowadays
lives out our being living Church of God. We are the Church. Our love and concern for each
other will remain. We have shared with one another our resources, like food, goods, and how our
parish church has become open also for refugees. Each religious community have gone out from
their comfort zones to extend help. This is indeed what the Church now, a living church, not only
catering to the needs of the spirit, through the liturgical celebrations, but also, the needs of our
physical bodies.

Part II- Theological Reflections

I would like to start my theological reflections with the article, (“What kind of Church must be?
By Aloysius Cartagenas), “A church for the poor but not yet of the poor, in the Philippines
poverty is not only widespread, it has also become intergenerational. It is a social evil that
deprives majority of Filipinos including its indigenous or religious minorities, from a greater
sharing in responsibility and decision-making about the good the nation should hold and promote
in common” from these ideas from the author of the article, and situating it now of what has been
happening to us as a Church before and during and after the pandemic brought by COVID-19,
seems like that of what had happened during the 1986 People Power. “The Church understanding
of the common good seems not suggesting the formula of the greatest good for the greatest
number” (Cartegenas, ‘What a Church must be?). I can see it that not all parishes or religious
communities are doing the best thing they can do in very concrete actions to alleviate the
suffering of the people especially in today’s pandemic. Some are just confined to their respective
homes and communities; they were securing themselves, but how about others who have no food
anymore and no more resources. I admire those pastors in the different parishes who are really
active in doing social action as well as some religious communities. Cartagenas is right and for
me it seems that the Church is for the poor and hopefully it is moving towards a Church of the
poor.
Doing ministry today has a very challenging work to do with love. We have to be
grounded with the mission of the Church, yet we need to balance it also with the social and
political mission. According to the article (by Francis Fiorenza on “The Church’s Religious
Identity and Its Social and Political Mission”), “The Church’s mission to the world is often
contrasted with its proper religious mission. The social or political mission is inauthentic, not a
proper mission. Insofar as churches increasingly engage in a social or political mission, they
increasingly fail their proper mission.” The point here is that when social or political mission is
overlapping with its religious identity, then there has imbalance and the proper mission is at
sake. It has also to be balance without taking for granted the other aspects of the mission.
Social and Political mission that I have just mentioned earlier is also a good thing to reflect on,
nowadays especially we are facing this pandemic. Our response to the needs of our brothers and
sisters in need may be an expression of what we call “political holiness”. “By holiness, I mean
the understanding practice of faith, hope, and especially charity and the virtues generated by the
following of Jesus. By politics I mean action directed toward structurally transforming society in
the direction of the reign of God, by doing justice to the poor and oppressed majorities, so that
they obtain life and historical salvation.” (Jon Sobrino, Political Holiness A Profile). We are

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being inspired with the example of our Lord Jesus in doing everything for the good of all.
Ministry today is also very evident on how our parishes are collaborating with the Non-
Government Organizations, and working together with the Local Government Units in providing
the needs of the parishioners and in the barangay. For example, in our parish in Cebu, I can see
how they have been very active during these Enhanced Community Quarantine because they
were always on the move, in distributing relief goods and even cooked foods to the parishioners
and even to the front liners.
“I would like to describe this position as one of the hegemony??? of ministry. In it the term
ministry has come to absorb and include a variety of functions and roles in the life of the Church.
Ministry becomes the defining characteristic both of the life of the church- Christ’s church is
essentially ministerial- and of the individual believer – all are called to be ministers in some
sense through their baptism.” (Neil Ormerod, Mission and Ministry in the Wake of Vatican II).
We all have different roles to play. These roles can also be our ministry today. We have all our
talents and gifts and also blessings we received from the Lord. In the diversity of our talents and
gifts as people of God, we contribute to the life of the Church in how we have been very
generous in sharing all these to the Church and for the people of God. I can see nowadays, that
aside from our government leaders, also ordinary members of our Church, even our celebrities
we always see in televisions are giving their blessings to the people. I can also relate this as
something kind of a reflexive spirituality. In the research paper of, (Jayeel Serrano Cornelio,
entitled: “Being Catholic as Reflexive Spirituality:The Case of Religiously involved Filipino
Students”). It says that,” for these Filipino students, being a Catholic exhibits a reflexive
spirituality, in a way that a reflexive spirituality is about a personally experienced relationship
with God, relationally right living over right believing, and a critique of religious insincerity
among their peers and the Catholic institution at large”. It does not matter if one is not a very
active and devout Catholic, because even if you are not you can still make a difference especially
in this difficult times. For example there are those who even went to hospitals and help in putting
up the areas where the COVID-19 patients are to be taken cared of. For me, this is another
example of how ministry of the church is really in its action.

“From this time we see the priest being referred to as a person “consecrated” to the sacred
ministry, not the profane. Thus, the emphasis shifts from focusing on a style of life to making it a
state of life. The argument is that if certain holiness was required in the Old Testament, how
much more should be required in the New, in which the priesthood was so much higher.” (Paul
Bernier,”Ministry of the Church Chapter 4”). It is right to say how our priests are consecrated
to the sacred ministry. But nowadays, in this very difficult time we are together experiencing, we
cannot just say that a certain holiness in which the priesthood was so much higher, because not
only the priests have this certain holiness, but even to all of us, because we are called to be holy.
Our expression of our holiness are seen when all are working together fro the good of all people.
“Beyond the Clerical Paradigm, there is a New Theology of Ministry emerged. We have then to
move beyond the lay-clergy language and that is why there is a new theological framework for
describing ministry in the church. The shift is from Hierarchical communion to ordered
communion and from Ordained ministry to ordered ministry. Meaning to say from a hierarchical
that is like a descending ladder of states of being and truth with the fullness of power given to the
pope and shared in diminishing degrees with the lower levels of church life to a ordered
communion that is in eternal self-giving as a triune communion of persons and the most

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fundamental ordering occurs at baptism. For beyond these ordained ministries, the priesthood
there are those ordered ministry which is for example, the lectors and catechists of the parishes.”
(Richard Gaillardetz, “Does Vatican II Theology of the Laity Have a Future?) from this article
of Gaillardetz, I came to reflect on how Ministry in the Church has been doing well even before
COVID-19 outbreak, where both the pastors and the ordered ministries such as the lectors,
Eucharistic lay ministers, catechists, choir, altar servers and all members of the mandated
organizations have actively involved themselves in the life of the church and in serving our
brothers and sisters. The image of a church united in prayer and solidarity is evident as in every
Masses in the parish, everyone is hoping and praying for the safety and protection for everyone,
especially in the praying of the Oratio Imperata against the COVID-19. Yet, in the outbreak of
the COVID-19 when there is already the Enhanced Community Quarantine, where mass
gatherings are prohibited, the Church ministry has been limited to Live Streaming of all
Liturgical Services. Only the parish priest, very few servers and the one who is in-charge to
technicalities for the live streaming is present in the church, while the rest are celebrating at their
respective homes and praying with the whole family. Our pastors were taking extra efforts in
trying to bring the sacraments more closely to people. I really admire how brave are some of our
priests who roam around the vicinity of their parish area just to bring the Blessed Sacrament and
to bless the people. For me, that is really going beyond the so called limits, but it is done with
much love for the Lord trough serving and protecting His flock.
Dr. Emmanuel de Guzman, in his Course Notes on Ministry, entitled: “Church,
Ministry and Laity: Vatican Council II Orientations, I have learned form his notes, and I am
quoting: ”Ministry is not doing “churchy things” but to transform loves and society so that there
remains no aspect of human life that is withdrawn from the action of God’s grace. Ministry is
about ordinary people becoming partners with God in the transformation of the world.” (De
Guzman, Emmanuel, p.11) I remember last time I heard about our school, Maryhill School of
Theology, through Fr. Richard Diaz, CICM, the dean, that MST has opened its facilities and
building for the front liners at St. Luke’s Medical Center for their safety and protection. With
that, it made me smiled at that time and until now, because the school, which is our home for our
theological studies, is also now becoming a home for these brave people, our front liners whom
their lives are also at stake. MST is a representative of our local church who opens its doors for
our brothers and sisters in need. Another example also, is how Bishop Ambo of the Diocese of
Kalookan, once said that if our parishes or churches are needed for our front liners and those
people who are badly in need of is to let them stay and be protected. I believe in this trying time,
that action of the church is really commendable; our Church is really working very well.
The church today is a church who is very keen to the signs of the times. “From a Church in
possession of salvation and truth to a Church which is situated within an on-going process of
God’s revelation in history, hence, a Church which has to listen to the ‘signs of the times’.”
(Lode L. Wostyn, Doing Ecclesiology: Church and Mission Today) Reflecting on this, I can see
how the Church has been attentive to the signs of the times. Before the pandemic, the Church has
been functioning very well in terms of the spiritual needs of the people, especially in all liturgical
celebrations. But during the pandemic, and up to now, when the enhanced community quarantine
that is hopefully be slowly lifted, the Church is busy doing her best to attend to the needs of the
people, in terms of helping everybody to alleviate the suffering brought by this pandemic
through certain relief programs.

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“Vatican II not only changed “the substance” of our doctrinal tradition by responding to new
faith experiences in a new historical context. John O’Malley points out that the Council also
created a new style of being Church. He illustrates this style by analyzing its vocabulary: “from
commands to invitations, from laws to ideals, from threats to persuasion, from coercion to
conscience, from monologue to conversation….” (Lode Wostyn, CICM, Beyond Vatican II:
Outside the Poor No Salvation) The new style of being a church is what I can also see of the
Church now. Before, although we have some live streaming of the Masses and other liturgical
services, but it was only for those who are really unable to attend because of some sickness, but
today, it is obligatory or mandated to attend through live streaming or we say, virtual Masses,
because of the enhanced quarantine. Aside from the virtual Masses, there has been online
recollections, online worldwide praying of the Holy Rosary, which was led also by Pope Francis
and with Cardinal Tagle who is now in Rome, Italy. When Pope Francis invites everyone to be
united in prayer at a specific time, many are stay-tuned online praying with Pope and reflecting
with Cardinal Tagle. I can feel ho we as a Church are united all the more.
Indeed, Pope Francis has successfully led the whole of the Church to join hands in this
pandemic. An article by Robin Ryan, CP says: “The ecclesiological vision of Pope Francis
places the theme of service front and center—the call to humble service to fellow members of the
church and to the wider world. The discussion of solidarity above makes it clear that Francis
summons the church to emulate Jesus in reaching out to those who are most in need throughout
the world. This solidarity must be expressed in concrete actions that respond to the needs of real
people. Francis also exhorts those who minister within the church to see their role as one of
offering faithful, generous service to those to whom they minister.” (Robin Ryan, CP,
Ecclesiological Themes in the Teaching of Pope Francis). Having been inspired with Pope
Francis, our church leaders in the Philippines, our dear bishops and clergy has also becoming
creative in doing their ministry as service to the people of God. One example to that, is using the
internet as an avenue to inspire people to pray and reflect more. The clergy, with Cardinal Tagle,
has made a music prayer video, where some priests sung together in a compiled video, a song
“Hilumin Mo Bayan Ko” (Filipino Version of the song Heal Our Land). It is very inspiring since
some of our Filipino priests who are assigned abroad for a mission, are being united to pray and
sing for healing and peace against this pandemic. Another is that, many parish priests in parishes
are in procession riding at a multicab just to bless the people around his parish, and also praying
of the Rosary. This is what we personally witness in our parish in which we belong here in
National Shrine and Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel here in New Manila.
In the light of all of these we experience together as one Church, I can see and I am proud of
what we have done together as one. Indeed, what we people of God, in doing our ministry, in a
special way, we can do for now, is to cherish every opportunity we have for the Holy Eucharist
with Spiritual Communion, together with our family, and as we pray together in unity with the
whole Church of God worldwide, as we also pray together the “Oratio Imperata against COVID-
19” by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, we all hope to rise again, and begin
again in glory of the Risen Lord Jesus, for a brighter future that is yet to come. From this
spiritual communion we have received also, we may be able to share it to others. We pray, we
hope, and we trust God, the Blessed Trinity with Mary, our mother. Amen.

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Part III- Pastoral Actions
This situation we are in, because of the pandemic, it is indeed a great challenge as a Church.
Though we have certain liturgical norms we follow, and the law of the Church as in Canon Law,
especially with regards to liturgical celebrations, it is good that we have become so sensitive to
the signs of the times and we have responded to it. The Enhanced Community Quarantine has
enable me to think of the possibilities of pastoral innovations that the Church may would like to
consider so that if this pandemic happen again in the future, at least we already know what we
will do together.
First, that the Church may have a official liturgical pastoral innovation that every time a
pandemic is faced, the Church will know already what to do and let it be known to the members
of the church. A clear document on this, having all the guidelines to be followed with some
considerations depending on each context. One example to this is the virtual masses including
Funeral Masses and Blessing of the Dead especially those who died of COVID-19. Also using
the online streaming for recollections, retreats, prayer services, and others that the Vatican will
have to decide. I can see this as a need, also an addition to what the Vatican and the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines has been greatly done so far. But, on their guidelines, it
just stated there that, this is valid only for 2020. But how about we will also prepare for the
future since we do not know what happens; at least we are prepared ahead of time.
Second, is the possibility to have an Online Confession and Online Baptism. I have seen this as
important innovation I wanted to propose, because as we face pandemic, and especially during
the Lenten Season, there have been many people asking me, through my messenger and also our
formator have shared to us on one mealtime that there were people asking him if they can
confess online and also to be baptized online, for an emergency case of a dying baby in the
hospital. Due to Enhanced Community Quarantine, public gatherings were suspended, so, by this
reason, people are advised to stay at home. People who wanted to go for the Sacrament of
Reconciliation cannot make it this time. Can it not be possible to have online confession? I thin
for pastoral reasons for this time of pandemic, the Church may like to consider this. Also, with
regards to Baptism, in danger of death of baby, and in the hospital, parents who do not know
how to do the emergency baptism, if they know for a priest that they wanted to call to ask for
online baptism, can the Church consider it as long as after emergency Baptism, it will be
reported to the parish for record purposes? Again, I think for pastoral reason during this
pandemic, the Church may would like to consider these.
Third, as long as the Enhanced Community Quarantine will be lifted up, and the Church slowly
can go back to its activities, and Holy Masses be now allowed for people to attend at their
respected parishes, I propose that there are still social distancing to be maintained until such time
that COVID-19 cases will all be restored to health. This is for safety and protection of our people
and as well as the parish priests and ministers. So in every Masses, it will only be limited
according to the capacity of the parish churches and in each pews there are markers indicated
that only few people can sit and with a distance of three meters at least. There will only be few
altar servers, few members of the choir and the Extra Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
for at least 3. Masses on Sundays will also be held at an interval of two hours, so that the next
Mass, people who have just finished may be given ample time to exit the parish church and allow
people who will attend the next Mass to come inside and to observe proper social distancing.
There will also be assigned persons in the entrance of the Church to provide cloth with
disinfectant solution where people upon entering can step on it to disinfect and alcohol is

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provided for people to wash their hands. Everyone in the church is to wear the face mask. No
more procession during the presentation of the gifts, and there will be provided boxes, where
people can just drop their donations. During communion, people will just receive it through their
hands, and the priest will say at once at the altar “The Body of Christ” and which everybody will
answer “Amen” silently and proceed with the Holy Communion and receive silently, and this
will be faster and easy.
With these pastoral innovations, I believe that if it will be practiced with prudence and much
cooperation by all members of the Church, we can all be together united and together fight
against the pandemic and rejoice together in its end, and we can go back to our normal life, in
thanksgiving to the Lord for all these experiences and start again with hope.

SOURCES:

Aloysius Cartagenas, “What kind of Church must we be?”

Francis Fiorenza, “The Church’s Religious Identity and Its Social and Political Mission”

Jon Sobrino, Political Holiness A Profile

Neil Ormerod, Mission and Ministry in the Wake of Vatican II

Jayeel Serrano Cornelio, entitled: “Being Catholic as Reflexive Spirituality:The Case of

Religiously involved Filipino Students”

Paul Bernier,”Ministry of the Church Chapter 4”

Richard Gaillardetz, “Does Vatican II Theology of the Laity Have a Future?)

Dr. Emmanuel de Guzman, in his Course Notes on Ministry, entitled: “Church, Ministry and
Laity: Vatican Council II Orientations

Lode L. Wostyn, Doing Ecclesiology: Church and Mission Today)

Lode Wostyn, CICM, Beyond Vatican II: Outside the Poor No Salvation

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Robin Ryan, CP, Ecclesiological Themes in the Teaching of Pope Francis

CBCP Guidelines for this COVID-19 Pandemic

1) Ability to show critical analysis, incisiveness, and profoundness in the treatment of 3 18

the main question as evidenced in the content of the three parts of the paper
(multiply by 6; highest score is 24 points)
2) Ability to show grounding on facts, data or information in all aspects of the paper, 3 12
from analysis of situation, theological reflections, pastoral actions (multiply by 4;
highest score is 16 points)
3) Ability to use least 11 reading materials in appropriate, relevant and expositional 4 16
way in one’s discourse or discussion (multiply by 4; highest score is 16 points)
4) Ability to write logically, coherently, intelligibly, and tightly knitted composition in 3 12
carefully constructed words, sentences and paragraphs, and with pagination
(multiple by 4; highest score is 16 points)
5) Ability to follow diligently the format and parts of the paper. (multiply by 3; 4 12
highest score is 12 points)
Total Score 70 out of
84 points
Grade equivalent 1.50

Semestral Grades:

First requirement (30%) = 1.50

Second requirement (30% = 1.50
Final requirement (40%) = 1.50

Semestral Final Grade = 1.50