‘Masked’ Church Services and Mass Without Holy Water amid Coronavirus Outbreak | Be Korea-savvy

‘Masked’ Church Services and Mass Without Holy Water amid Coronavirus Outbreak


Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul. (image: Yonhap)

Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul. (image: Yonhap)

SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Korea Bizwire)Seoul’s churches and cathedrals were visited by a significant number of members on Sunday despite the coronavirus spread.

At a church in Seoul’s Seodaemun District, churchgoers showed up for morning chapel, most of them fully protected with masks.

Members of the choir were also seen wearing masks.

Volunteers for the church have been distributing free masks to people not wearing them, offering information on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Some 1,000 members of another church in Gangnam District came to their morning service with their masks on.

Catholics, too, were present at Myeongdong and Yeouido cathedrals for their morning mass, where priests decided not to use the holy water for the day.

Instead, members were asked to wash their hands at the entrance.

“It is a big change, considering that the holy water is an essential part of the mass,” said a local member.

Myeongdong Cathedral is reportedly considering removing hymnbooks from the seating area to prevent unnecessary indirect contact.

Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)

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