https://www.dublindiocese.ie/pope-francis-message-for-lent-2020/

GUIDELINES REGARDING CORONAVIRUS SITUATION 

Wednesday 1 April 

The Celebration of Holy Week

1.   Regrettably I feel that it will not be possible to have any public celebration of the Liturgies of Holy Week.

It would be very difficult to limit the number of those attending, especially on Good Friday, when many vulnerable people might feel obliged to come to our Churches.

2.   This makes it all the more urgent to ensure that people are made aware of the manner in which they can access the ceremonies by television or on line and to ensure that parishioners are made aware of the dates and times of transmissions.

3.   For the elderly the televised services on RTE are by far the easiest to access.  I will send out this afternoon a complete list of the times of the RTE transmissions. We are all particularly grateful to RTE for the service they are providing.

4.   The transmissions from the Pro-Cathedral will be available on the Diocesan Website. It may not be feasible for every parish to provide individual web transmissions.  Parish groupings and nearby parishes might cooperate in order to have one parish to take the lead role for each of the ceremonies.

5.   The Congregation for Divine Worship, on the mandate of the Holy Father, has set out details of the special arrangements of the ceremonies being conducted in the current situation behind closed doors. They are as follows:

Palm Sunday. The Commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem is to be celebrated within sacred buildings; in Cathedral churches the second form given in the Roman Missal is to be adopted; in parish churches and in other places the third form is to be used.

The Chrism Mass.           In the Archdiocese of Dublin and in numerous other dioceses, the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass is suspended and will be celebrated at a later date. 

Holy Thursday. The washing of feet, which is already optional, is to be omitted. At the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper the procession is also omitted and the Blessed Sacrament is to be kept in the tabernacle. On this day the faculty to celebrate Mass in a suitable place, without the presence of the people, is exceptionally granted to all priests.

Good Friday. In the Universal Prayer, the following special intention is to be inserted:

For the afflicted in time of pandemic

Let us pray also for all those who suffer the consequences of the current pandemic, that God the Father may grant health to the sick, strength to those who care for them, comfort to families and salvation to all the victims who have died.

Prayer in silence. Then the Priest says:

Almighty ever-living God,

only support of our human weakness,

look with compassion upon the sorrowful condition of your children

who suffer because of this pandemic;

relieve the pain of the sick,

give strength to those who care for them,

welcome into your peace those who have died

and, throughout this time of tribulation,

grant that we may all find comfort in your merciful love.

Through Christ our Lord.

            R/. Amen.

The adoration of the Cross-by kissing it shall be limited solely to the celebrant. Parishes might be able to transmit a simple Way of the Cross.

The Easter Vigil  Is to be celebrated only in Cathedral and parish churches and not in seminaries, houses of clergy, monasteries and religious communities.  For the “Baptismal Liturgy” only the “Renewal of Baptismal Promises” is maintained

Expressions of popular piety and processions which enrich the days of Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum can be transferred to other suitable days in the year, for example 14 and 15 September (the Feast of the Holy Cross),.  This applies to Dawn Masses and Sunrise Celebrations.

6.   Over the next few days the Diocesan Liturgical Office will provide some indication of symbols and prayers which might help enrich the starkness of liturgies celebrated in empty Churches as well as support family and personal prayer.  I will also send some indications about the opening of Churches for private prayer.

+Diarmuid Martin

Wednesday 1 April 2020