While gearing up for the “new normal,” Manila’s Roman Catholic Church is pushing for the creation of health ministry in all its parishes, reported CBCP News.

Bishop Broderick Pabillo, the archdiocese’s administrator, said that such ministry is important as parishes prepare for the resumption of church services with people in attendance.

He said the archdiocese’s primary concern is how to open up its religious services “in a safe way” amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Let each parish create a ministry of health to extend services in the parish,” Pabillo said in his latest pastoral instruction released on Monday.

His statement also came after the government placed Metro Manila under general community quarantine (GCQ) but the holding of religious services remain restricted.

Only 10 people are allowed to attend religious gatherings in GCQ areas, according to the latest guidelines issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

He said those working in the ministry may be tasked to extend services to the elderly as they will as, among others, identify the parishioners who want to receive communion outside the church.

The ministry, according to him, may also be assigned to screen churchgoers by the use of thermal scanners and to attend to those who may, later on, be found to have the illness.

“Little by little, each parish and each church organization have to undergo planning on how to do their activities and programs in this new situation,” said Pabillo.

“This is part of our stewardship of the gift of health – our health and the health of those around us,” he said.

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