Ringing Church Bells on March 22 to manifest Solidarity, Appreciation and Gratitude – Archbishop Peter Machado
Bengaluru: In a circular Archbishop of Bengaluru Dr Peter Machado stated, “Prime minister Narendra Modi has called for Janata Curfew on March 22 from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. As you are well aware, the Church bells are rung to invite people to divine services. They also are rung to announce our moments of joy and sorrow, emergencies as well as to manifest our appreciation and to express our solidarity with the members of the community. The coronavirus crisis has brought a lot of sorrow, fear and anxiety among the people”.
In keeping with the suggestion of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to stand in our balconies and doorsteps on Sunday, 22 March at 5:00 pm and to clap for 5 minutes to applaud the services of our medical, nursing and paramedical staff and also to gratefully recognize the selfless services of the airlines and other emergencies, transport and maintenance personnel, who are risking their lives to save the lives of thousands of coronavirus victims. Of course, we also do appreciate and commend the dedicated services of all the Government Staff.
The Archbishop requested all the priests to arrange for pealing of bells of all the churches and chapels for a few minutes at that hour.
The ringing of the bells on Sunday, 22nd March, has also been recommended by Oswald Cardinal Gracias, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India(CBCI), in his broadcast message on Thursday, March 19.
“This will be our humble expression, great appreciation, and sincere gratitude to our brave and dedicated brothers and sisters who are rendering noble and selfless service in these moments of great crisis in the country and around the world”, stated Archbishop Dr Peter Machado.
