April, every year, is a month Christian faithful world over mark the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ in a special occasion called Easter. This year however, the celebration is going to wear a sombre look as the gate of churches and their doors have since been shut following the outbreak of the pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19) and the consequent sit-at-home order by the Federal and state Governments.
Some members of the clergy, who spoke with BDSUNDAY on the impact of the lockdown on churches, especially the Easter celebration, urged their members to keep the fire burning, nontheless.
Alfred Adewale Martins, Catholic Archbishop of Lagos
Easter, of course is the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection from the dead, which leads to his Ascension to the Father and the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. Easter time is the most important of all liturgical times. There are 50 days of Easter from the Easter Sunday to Pentecost. It is characterised, above all, by the joy of victory over death, expressed mostly in the great resounding cry of the Christian: Alleluia! All other expressions of faith flow from faith in the resurrection: “If Christ has not been raised, then empty is our preaching; empty, too, is your faith” (1 Cor 15:14). The octave of Easter comprises the eight (8) days which stretch from the Easter Sunday to the following Sunday. It is a way of continuing to savour the joy of the Easter day itself. In a sense, every day of the Octave is celebrated like a Sunday. Easter is truly ‘the day that the Lord has made.’ From Sunday to Sunday, from year to year, the celebration of Easter in this world will lead us to that blessed day on which Christ has promised that He will come again in glory to take us with Him into the kingdom of His Father. May this Easter bring us good tidings and heavenly blessings.
Given the circumstance brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and in line with Decree of the Congregation of Divine Worship on the celebration of Holy Week Services, our Mass of Chrism for this year would be celebrated at a date when it shall also serve for us to rejoice in thanksgiving to God for seeing us through the present trying times. Since we cannot transfer the Holy Week celebrations and Easter to another time, we shall celebrate in ways most appropriate for these times. The lockdown that government has imposed upon our states has compelled us to alter the aspects of the earlier directives given in our circular in order to curtail the spread of coronavirus. We know that unless the Lord builds the house, in vain does the builder labour; and unless the Lord watches over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil. It is therefore, important that we step up our prayers asking God to bring an end to the coronavirus problem. Whenever there were scourges and plagues in the history of mankind, prayers turned out to be the ultimate solution. It is in this light that we ask all priests, religious and lay faithful to pray more fervently than ever before. We already have a prayer that we are saying, and I hope that this is being said at families’ prayers. In addition to that, I want to enjoin all the faithful in the Archdiocese of Lagos to embark on a period of Fasting and Prayers for the intention of bringing an end to the COVID-19 problem.
However, on giving support to the less-privileged, Martins said, “We use this opportunity to also encourage all parishes to seek out ways by which they would help to meet the needs of the less-privileged in their parishes, particularly at this moment of lockdown in our state. The Committees responsible for welfare in the parish should be mobilised to see how the parish can respond to the needs of these unfortunate members of the Body of Christ.”
Rev. Fr. Peter Olowolafe , CAN chairman, Ekiti State
Thus far we are grateful to God for what the physicians are doing, the governor, even the President at the helm of affairs as a way of curtailing the spread of coronavirus. Looking at the lockdown of the country; I think I am one of the principal agents who advocated for that. Since the spread of the coronavirus cannot be possible without contact with others, therefore social distancing is the best option out of the other options. Washing of hands and other preventive measures with social distancing cannot work adequately. Now, being in the Holy Week – I think this is one of the most painful situations we are experiencing; as a Catholic priest, this is the summit of our liturgical celebration as Catholics. We are in Holy Week and the thredom, that is, the three days before Easter; Good Thursday, Good Friday and Easter vigil. However, we need to sacrifice something for greater to come. God willing, next year we are going to have better opportunity to celebrate and many years ahead. On Easter Sunday in particular, there are many states who have agreed that (like Ondo State) to let the people have Easter Sunday services with social distancing within 20 people per service. We are still praying, if we can have something like that; we don’t know what might happen in Ekiti before that day, but we pray that something good happens. And other states too; but whatever is going to happen, what I hope for is for our people to be alive and healthy – that is what I advocated for. If there is no opportunity for us to gather as Christian church, we can always have better opportunity tomorrow.
Augustine Oghumah, the presiding bishop of Christ Army Church, Lagos Diocese
Everybody should take patience, obey God and pray at home for those that are affected that God will relieve them of the pains, and God should show mercy upon the country generally.
Rev. Joshua Rotimi Orikogbe of First ECWA Church and former CAN chairman, Ado Ekiti
Every individual can understand that we are fighting a pandemic and it is an international incident as we all know. Talking about the restriction of movements that is at the same time affecting the church; I want to sincerely believe that it is for our good. And indeed, measures are on ground for Christians – the government doesn’t ban Christians not to worship; its only that restrictions have been given and at the same time we have been allowed to gather in maximum of 20 people. Then, if at all this cannot be; I just want to appeal that we should bear it for now because I want to believe that if there is life we have lots of celebrations that we can celebrate.
Pastor Benjamin Olayiwola Akanmu, CAN chairman, Oyo State
For health reasons, I have no other opinion than the instructions from the government. Really, the lockdown is not an issue for our state alone; it is all over the world. Even in the Arab world; the Mohammed mosque in Medina is being locked down because the pandemic affected some people through some people who had got infected in the gathering while worshiping in Italy. So, that is why the instruction came out that we should avoid gathering together of so many people, but if things work well and there is improvement; we will go back to our old ways of fellowshipping together. But for sure, what I know and used to tell people is this: only people who are living that can continue worshiping; any dead soul cannot worship again. So, anything that is going to cause us our lives, we have to take care of it.
Rev. Sola Aremu of Yaba Baptist Church, Lagos
There are two sides of a coin to this issue. Life has its gains and equally its pains. Considering the impact of the lockdown on the church, I would say it has its good side and its bad side. The church is part of the society; it is a microcosm of the larger society; hence, whatever affects the society will in turn affect the church. The good side of the lockdown on the church is the fact that it prevents the spread of the deadly coronavirus or COVID-19. This in a way helps to reduce the risk of members either spreading the disease on one hand or contracting it on the other hand. However, the lockdown has deprived the church of her fellowship. Primarily, there are two types of fellowships from the scriptural point of view, either vertical or horizontal. In other words, as we have fellowship with God we equally have fellowship with ourselves. The lockdown has not really and cannot deprive the church (Christian’s) from fellowshipping with God, but it has robbed us of fellowshipping with ourselves. The Bible emphasised it in the Book of Hebrews that we should not ignore or neglect the gathering (fellowship) of and with one another (brethren). Therefore, beyond any other thing, the church has been robbed of her fellowship.
I would have loved if the lockdown order is lifted to allow the church celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ popularly known as Easter. The church could ensure that members observe other preventive measures like hand washing, use of sanitizer and social distancing to mention just three. However, the church can’t be selfish in this matter. To a large extent, the church has graciously cooperated with both the state and the Federal Government. We pray it won’t last too long before normalcy is restored to both the church and the society at large. We shall soon overcome this plague in Jesus name. I will like to use this opportunity to wish the whole body of Christ (Church) Happy Easter celebration. May the power of the cross, the shed blood on the cross and the power of resurrection uphold us till the appearance of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him alone be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Tope Ilesanmi, the CAN coordinator, Ikeja province
The good news is that He rose despite the heavy stones and the stouthearted men at the tomb. In the same vein, the news of His resurrection that the priests wanted to cover is on the lips of everyman today. What more? He is Risen. Even if there are doubting thomases, Jesus knows how to show himself to such with many infallible proofs.This is the reason why I am not worried about the present pandemic conspiracy to hinder the joy of The Resurrection Morning. No! Am not perturbed, and no believer should. Why? The news will go wider this year, and the Resurrection Power will become so mightily displayed in our ‘hearts and homes’ when every believer officiates as Priests from their respective homes. Multiple altars would be raised by every Priest in those homes instead of one Priest-Altar to a thousand congregants. Satan has lost this battle! One thing we must tell the world is that the Resurrection Power is not confined to walls built by human hands. He is a Spirit, and travels faster than Coronavirus. No COVID-19 can even withstand Him, else it will be roasted. So, shutting down Church Auditoriums does not reduce His efficacy. SOULS are being saved online. Healings, deliverance, impartations and all His wonders are going on ONLINE. Praise God!
Archbishop Joseph Ojo, Calvary Kingdom Church (CKC) Lagos
Ceremony is just a commemorative event. The real issue is to remember that He died for the whole world. Christ our Pass Over is sacrificed for us (1Corintians 5:7). The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the power that the Cross of Jesus has. Not all crosses have power. Because the people that died on them could not rise from their grave. Do you realise that there were two other people crucified along with the Master on that first Good Friday? Only Jesus cross can be said to have power because death could not keep him in the grave. The real power of the cross is preaching the gospel of his resurrection. Telling someone that Jesus loves him/her and that he died for their sins. ‘And with great power the apostles gave witness to the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33). The power of resurrection is witnessing to the fact that Jesus died and resurrected the third day. The cross could not keep him because by law the sun must not set before the body will be removed from the Cross; the grave could not hold him because he has power over life and death. “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” This Easter period will be as powerful as it has ever been. We should pray like the Apostle Paul did “That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection” (Philippians 3:10). To everyone that believes in Jesus, death will pass over them. Virus or viruses (COVID-19) will pass over us. This is the season of the PASS OVER- passing over from death to life; from fear to faith, and from worries to assurances. I call on all believers to use this season to get closer to God. There were no Church buildings in the New Testament time. But they marked the death and resurrection of the Lord; in homes and anywhere possible.
Rev. Adepoju Ademola of First Love Apostolic Outreach, Lagos
Resurrection morning is the moment that gave hope to mankind. In Matt 28:2 the Bible says there was a great earthquake; this is the manifestation of the power of resurrection. Why is the resurrection so important? Because Christ was raised from the dead our world is now headed for REDEMPTION not disaster (COVID-19) like being experienced now in the world; with Jesus redemption is sure, God mighty power is at work to destroy sin, sickness and other negative things. God’s power that brought Christ back from the dead is available to us that we can love for him in an evil world. We can differ on many things but the resurrection unites all Christians.
Emmanuel Udofia, Primate of the African Church
The African Church is part and parcel of the society and whatever the government decides that will be to the good of the entire society; by the grace of God we have to abide by such instruction. African Church on its own is rearranging its congregation into cells for worships in designated centres in ensuring worshippers do not miss the benefit of its services or programmes. The current pandemic is an avenue for the church to invest in building its presence on all digital platforms, as it avails the church the opportunity to evangelise, leveraging social media and online platform.
Online church services is also welcome and some of our churches are doing it, because those who cannot meet one-on-one can use the social media to meet with one another and also to hold the service as if they are worshipping in the same church.
