Guadalupe Basilica celebrates first mass without parishioners for coronavirus

The Sunday mass, celebrated in the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, was held behind closed doors for the crisis caused by the coronavirus, it was broadcast live on Youtube Y an open television channel.

The archdiocese of Mexico notified that given the conditions in the country the Eucharist will take place without the faithful within the Gustavo A. Madero mayoral compound.

This, after the recommendation of the Conference of the Mexican Episcopate (EMC) where he exhorted the bishops suspend meetings for large groups, Eucharistic celebrations and promote personal prayer.

Likewise, the Catholic Church suspended other activities, such as retreats, assemblies, congresses, conferences, and catechesis. Regarding Sunday Masses, they will no longer be obligatory during the time that the Health Secretary (SSA).

“That the Eucharist be broadcast on digital platforms and the public and private media, so that the faithful can spiritually join the mysteries of the faith,” the CEM statement published on March 16 read.

According to the area of Archdiocese Social CommunicationThis is the first time that a mass without parishioners has been held in the Guadalup Basilicae well Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes, officiated the ceremony with only ten religious. In this context, it should be noted that neither when was the AH1N1 influenza crisis, in 2009, the doors of this religious site were closed.

During mass, the Archbishop asked that do not consider the coronavirus pandemic as divine punishment and he urged the faithful to reflect from their homes “What does God want of us in the face of such events?”

Salvador Martinez, rector and administration of the Basilica, reported that preventive measures will continue until the virus shows evidence of remission and is validated by the state health authorities.

Official prevention measures

In the face of the epidemic crisis unleashed by COVID-19, the federal government promotes National Day of Healthy Distance, which includes the period from Monday, March 23 to Sunday, April 20, and implements four basic points to prevent the virus from spreading.

1.- Basic prevention measures

2.- Temporary suspension of non-essential activities

3.- Reprogramming of events of massive concentration

4.- Protection and care of the elderly

Who is at risk

According to CEM information, the Mexican population is 82.7% Catholic; that is to say, that of the 129 million 200 thousand inhabitants that Mexico has, a little more than 106 million could be exposed to the coronavirus in some activity related to the Catholic Church.

Coronavirus in Mexico and the world

Until the last count, in Mexico there are 251 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 2 deaths and 697 suspected cases. This information was provided by José Luis Alomía, director of Epidemiology, and Hugo López-Gatell, undersecretary for Prevention and Health Promotion, who also reported that 1,473 suspects had already been ruled out.

Hard data confirms that 63% of cases are men, 37% are women, 10% require medical attention within a hospital, 6% are stable and 2% are reported as severe and 14% have already recovered. after the 14-day receipt.

Worldwide, there are more than 300 thousand infections with a number of deaths of around 13 thousand. In China, the country where the virus originated, the number of new outbreaks has already decreased; however, Europe has been severely affected by COVID-19. Such is the example of countries like Italy or Spain, where the epidemic curve is increasing. In Spain, coronavirus cases are more than 25 thousand and Italy with more than 53 thousand.