17 Feb Sprinkling Of Ashes & Use Of Cotton Balls To Be Implemented This Ash Wednesday
Mga higala! To avoid the risks of COVID-19, priests are required to just sprinkle ashes on the heads of devotees today, Ash Wednesday, instead of putting it directly on their foreheads!
However, the ashes can also be applied to the forehead by making use of cotton balls.
This is part of the guidelines released by the Episcopal Commission on Liturgy of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
Devotees are also allowed to personally apply ashes on their family members’ foreheads.
Moreover, (in case you missed our last post) according to a memo from the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, during the celebration of Ash Wednesday– priests must cleanse their hands and put on a face mask before starting and conducting the ceremony or blessing the ashes. After this, they can then sprinkle the ashes on the heads of each devotee that comes to them “without saying anything”. They can also go to where the devotees are standing, without making them huddle or line up.
For more details:
READ: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1130694
Vatican Asks Priests To Just “Sprinkle” Ashes On Devotees Heads During Ash Wednesday
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