Hold more services during Christmas to check Covid spread: Ranchi archdiocese

Ranchi: The archdiocese of Ranchi has appealed to all to dedicate Christmas this year to the poor, hungry and the homeless.

“This year has been a difficult year, marked by challenges, difficulties and sufferings. Covid-19 and the enforced lockdowns have brought untold misery and hardships for the common man. An economy in distress, growing joblessness and increasing poverty stare us in our face. We are appealing to you to celebrate a Christmas, inspired by

charity

and founded on deep spirituality. We call upon you to join us for a celebration marked by charity, mercy and compassion,” a pastoral letter, signed jointly by Felix Toppo, the archbishop of Ranchi, and Theodore Mascarenhas, the auxiliary bishop of Ranchi, read.

A pastoral letter is an open letter written by a bishop to the clergy or the faithful.

“Do not use firecrackers during this festive season. This would protect the environment and help in reducing air and noise pollution. The money that you would burn by bursting crackers can be given in donation for the poor. Even as we celebrate the birth of our Lord, let us remember the poor for whom Jesus has a special love.

“We call for sobriety and modesty in the celebrations and expenditure. We recommend that each family make sacrifices and contribute towards charity, so that we can help those who were already living in poverty and those who have now been reduced to poverty because of Covid and the lockdowns,” the pastoral letter said.

We also suggest a social outreach by arranging for sweets and small presents for families and children who cannot afford them this Christmas, the letter added.

To ensure that Christmas celebrations do not turn into Covid spreaders and to restrict the number of people flocking into churches at any given time, the pastoral letter pointed out that instructions have been issued to all their churches and centres to hold as many as three

church

services per day, if needed, during Christmas.