MANILA — The Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Cubao, Quezon City will be closed to the public for two days, from Thursday to Friday, after a man entered the Cathedral and desecrated the Tabernacle and Blessed Sacrament last Saturday.
“Last Saturday, Aug. 25, around 11:00 in the morning, a depressed young man, not in his right mind, entered the Cathedral and, unfortunately, desecrated the Tabernacle and the Blessed Sacrament. Because of this, the community of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral is to undertake acts of penance and reparation,” Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
But, the Catholic prelate noted that masses will be held at the lower chapel.
“The Cathedral will be closed to all religious activities on August 30 and 31. During this time, masses will be held at the lower chapel. I ask that those days be days of prayer and fasting,” he said.
“Also on August 30 and 31, a Holy Hour of Reparation will be held at the lower chapel right after the 6:00 pm mass. This will be followed by the Procession of Penance and Reparation with the Blessed Sacrament, within the immediate vicinity of the Cathedral,” Ongtioco added.
He said the Cathedral will be open to religious activities on September 1.
According to Fr. Dennis Soriano, rector of the Cathedral, people inside the Church tried to stop the man but they failed to do so.
“First, he wanted to get to the crucifix and then, he was able to open the Tabernacle by taking off the top cover. He was able to get inside the Tabernacle. He swallowed the hosts. Some he spit out. Some hosts were stepped on. Several tanod from the barangay and the police were able to stop him,” he said in a separate statement.
The Catholic priest reported that around noon the man was brought to the barangay hall. Then he was brought to the police for a statement and after that to the hospital for medical examination. The man is now with his family.
At the same time, Soriano admitted that they were saddened by the incident, adding that they will always include him in their prayers.
“I am sure that I am speaking for the whole community of the Cathedral when I say that this has wounded our hearts. But we also recognize the young man’s wounded heart. He will always be included in our prayers,” he said.
“In the spirit of penance, the whole Cathedral community shall humbly and wholeheartedly implement all that the Bishop of Cubao asks us to do as reparation for what happened,” the rector of the Cubao Cathedral added.