Surat pastoral Bapa Uskup Agung Singapura mengenai wabah Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Selama beberapa minggu belakangan ini, keuskupan telah memberikan himbauan kesehatan untuk mengurangi risiko penyebaran COVID-19 dalam komunitas dan para imam. Lebih dari itu, keuskupan juga sempat mempertimbangkan pengecekan suhu tubuh yang bersifat wajib, walaupun keuskupan juga sadar bahwa pelaksanaan hal tersebut tidak sepenuhnya membantu pencegahan penyebaran virus namun bisa mengurangi penyebarannya.

Maka dari itu, Keuskupan harus mengambil peran untuk membatasi penyebaran virus dengan mencegah diadakannya kegiatan yang dihadiri banyak orang. Mengingat situasi terkini dari wabah tersebut yang sulit dikendalikan, maka:

1. Seluruh Misa untuk umum, baik Misa harian maupun Misa hari Minggu, akan ditiadakan terhitung mulai hari Sabtu, 15 Februari 2020, 12 PM waktu Singapura, hingga pemberitahuan lebih lanjut.

2. Seluruh kegiatan umum yang dihadiri  banyak orang, seperti sesi pengembangan iman, retret dan seminar, sebaiknya dibatalkan.

3. Pembatalan Misa ini tidak berarti bahwa Umat Katolik diperbolehkan berdalih dari kewajibannya untuk menjaga kesucian hari Tuhan. Umat dimohon membuka website keuskupan (www.catholic.sg) dan mengikuti Misa yang disiarkan secara online sehingga dapat membantu umat sekalian untuk menerima Tuhan secara spiritual. Umat juga bisa berkumpul bersama keluarga untuk Ibadat Sabda.

4. Pemberkatan pernikahan dan perkabungan dikategorikan sebagai pelayanan terbatas yang berarti hanya umat yang diundang yang bisa hadir. Pengaturan kegiatan tersebut dapat dilakukan bersama pastor paroki. Tindakan pencegahan penyebaran virus harus dilakukan sesuai dengan arahan dari Asosiasi Tenaga Kesehatan Katolik (Catholic Medical Guild/CMG).

5. Umat yang memerlukan Sakramen secara mendesak (seperti Sakramen Pengurapan Orang Sakit dan Sakramen Tobat) dipersilakan membuat janji dengan pastor di paroki.

6. Ikuti himbauan yang telah diterbitkan oleh Asosiasi Tenaga Kesehatan Katolik secara berkala.

Terima kasih atas kesabaran dan pengertiannya. Mari berdoa untuk sesama, terlebih untuk mereka yg terjangkit penyakit ini. Semoga Tuhan membebaskan kita dari virus ini sehingga kita dapat kembali menjalankan ibadah kita secara terbuka dan membentuk komunitas dalam kasih dan pelayanan. Mari berdoa pula untuk mereka yang berhadapan langsung dengan penderita – dokter dan suster – yang merelakan dirinya untuk melayani orang sakit. Semoga Tuhan melindungi mereka dan orang yang mereka cintai dari bahaya.

Dari hambamu dalam nama Tuhan
YM Mgr William Goh
Uskup Agung Singapura

Diberikan pada Pesta Pentahtaan Katedral Good Shepherd
14 Feb 2020

Surat pastoral ini berlaku di Keuskupan Agung Singapura

Website Keuskupan: www.catholic.sg
Update dari Keuskupan mengenai Coronavirus: www.catholic.sg/coronavirus

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Versi asli (Bahasa Inggris):

PASTORAL LETTER ON COVID-19 – SUSPENSION OF MASSES AND LARGE GATHERINGS

My dear People of God,

Over the past weeks, we have provided medical and public health advisories to minimize the risk of a cluster outbreak of the COVID-19 among our congregations and priests.

We have even considered mandating compulsory taking of temperature. Yet, we are also aware that temperature-taking is not a fool-proof screening tool as persons who are asymptomatic can also be carriers of the infection. Thus, implementing temperature screening may not entirely help prevent the spread of this infection even though it does mitigate the possibility of its transmission. As Catholics, we need to be responsible in playing our part to contain the spread of this virus by avoiding large gatherings of people.

Hence, given the current escalating situation which is proving to be difficult to contain, all public Masses, both on weekdays and weekends will be suspended indefinitely with effect on Saturday, 15 February, 12pm until there is greater clarity on the way forward. Likewise, all other public events with large numbers of people attending, such as formation sessions, retreats and seminars should be suspended.

Nevertheless, the cancellation of Masses does not mean that Catholics can excuse themselves from fulfilling the obligation of keeping the Day of the Lord holy. They should try to follow the broadcast of the Mass on YouTube or CatholicSG Radio. Please check the archdiocesan website for the time of the online broadcast. (www.catholic.sg) Following the broadcast of the Mass will help you to receive the Lord spiritually. You can also gather as a family for the Liturgy of the Word by spending time in prayer, reading the Word of God of the Sunday Liturgy and interceding for the world that this Covid-19 virus will be contained and eradicated. Even if you cannot gather together as a family to worship, you should individually spend at least half an hour in quiet time to pray and especially read the Word of God.

For weddings and funerals these are considered private services which means only invited guests can attend. Arrangements will have to be made with the parish priest. All precautionary measures must be taken as per the advice of the Catholic Medical Guild (CMG).

For those who need the sacraments urgently, e.g. Anointing of the Sick and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, please make an appointment with the priests in your parish. Ministers of the sacraments must also take proper precautions when ministering to parishioners.

Finally, please continue to follow the safeguards and precautions that the CMG have issued periodically (coronavirus.catholic.sg)

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Let us continue to pray for each other, especially those who have succumbed to this illness; and that the Lord will free us from this Covid-19 so that we can continue to worship freely and build up the community in love and service. Pray also for those in the frontlines – the doctors and the nurses – who are putting their own well-being in the service of the sick; that the Lord will protect them and their loved ones from harm.

Yours devotedly in the Lord
Most Rev William Goh
Archbishop of Singapore

Given on the Feast of the Dedication of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
14 Feb 2020