Guidelines set, self-imposition of ashes discouraged for faithful unable to attend Ash Wednesday rites

The Archdiocese of Manila has issued a set of guidelines for those who will not be able to go to church on Ash Wednesday as self-imposition of ashes has been discouraged.

As the Catholic faithful marks the start of the Lenten season on Ash Wednesday, March 2, a circular addressed to priests and religious brothers and sisters signed by Vice Chancellor Fr. Carmelo Arada, Jr. on the "Clarifications on the celebration of Ash Wednesday" was issued on Tuesday.

“For those who will find it difficult or impossible to go to church for the celebration of Ash Wednesday, the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission prepared the attached Family Celebration of Ash Wednesday at Home (English and Tagalog). Blessed ashes may be requested from our parishes for this purpose or the provision for the burning of palms/leaves at home may be used,” Arada said in the circular.

“Our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion may be requested to visit the sick and the elderly for the imposition of ashes,” it added.

The imposition of ashes, Arada underscored, should be always done in the context of a liturgical celebration or a religious activity.

“Let us, however, discourage self-imposition of ashes. We receive the ashes because the call to repentance is addressed to us by Christ through the church and it is also through the ministry of the church that we are reconciled with God and each other,” he added.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) earlier announced that the practice of the imposition of ash on foreheads. But the sprinkling of ash on the crown remains as an option.

The archdiocese also encouraged the faithful to participate in the observance of Ash Wednesday inside the church considering the current alert level status and the decreasing trend in the number of COVID-19 cases in their community.

The Catholic hierarchy in 2020 and 2021 modified the Ash Wednesday rites due to the COVID-19 pandemic as part of efforts to curtail the spread of the disease.

Instead of the imposition of ashes on foreheads, the ash was sprinkled on the crown of the faithful. -- BAP, GMA News