Archbishop Charles Brown, the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, has encouraged the faithful to attend the Holy Mass in person.
"We need to realize the real experience of Mass is not in front of a TV screen or a computer screen but actually receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus which is the essence of our celebration of the Mass", Archbishop Brown said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
After all, the act of "spiritual communion" cannot replace the actual graces and benefits that flow to us whenever we receive the actual Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist when attending Holy Mass in person.
Watching religious services online or on television just cannot replace in-person worships, according to the Papal Nuncio, and that is why he said he was in favor of the government's decision to allow more people inside places of worship in areas under general community quarantine. The government recently increased the seating or venue capacity from 30% to 50%.
"Whatever we can do to bring more people to Mass in a safe way, I'm absolutely in favor of it."
One can argue that the safety protocols inside Churches are so much more stringent than many of these highly-crowded areas that people now visit: groceries, malls, banks, etc. Churches, who are very stringent in ensuring social distancing, temperature checks, etc., are so much more safer compared to other high-traffic areas. These stringent protocols placed inside Churches should encourage more Filipinos to heed the call of the papal nuncio to attend Holy Mass in person more often.