Manila parish priest dies of COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — The parish priest of San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila died of coronavirus disease 2019 last Saturday, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)’s news provider reported.

According to CBCPNews, Fr. Arnold Sta. Maria Cañoza was 45 years old and belonged to the Order of St. Augustine (OSA). His congregation confirmed he succumbed to COVID-19.

Due to the nature of Cañoza’s death, the entire convent community went on indefinite lockdown starting yesterday.

“Access to the church and convent will be restricted, and operations at the parish office will also be suspended until further notice,” the parish said. “We ask for your understanding and prayers.”

Cañoza, an Agustinian priest, had been a professed religious in the Order for 14 years.

10th bishop with COVID-19

Meanwhile, Lipa, Batangas Archbishop Gilbert Garcera tested positive for COVID-19 and is now the 10th prelate to contract the infection.

Archbishop Garcera said that aside from him, there were other priests who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

He made the announcement in a circular, released last Saturday and addressed to the clergy, religious and lay faithful in the archdiocese.

“As you have already known, some priests and I tested positive for COVID-19 after undergoing the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR test,” said the 62-year-old archbishop.

“At present, we are in a health-managed condition. While necessary medical treatment continues, I must admit that the battle against COVID-19 is far from over,” he added.

The archbishop expressed his thanks to all those who wished them well and offered prayers for their healing, and asked the priests to offer their masses, holy hours and recitation of the rosary for their recovery and for the end of the pandemic.

“As we pray for an end to this Covid-19 pandemic, let us entrust ourselves to the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Caysasay and consecrate ourselves to the spiritual fatherhood of St. Joseph, the foster father of our Lord,” he said.

Prior to Garcera, other bishops who had tested positive for COVID-19 were Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples Prefect Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Ilagan Bishop David William Antonio, Kalookan Bishop Emeritus Deogracias Iñiguez, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz, Imus Bishop Emeritus Manuel Sobreviñas, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Antonio Rañola and San Fernando (Pampanga) Archbishop Florentino Lavarias.

All of them survived COVID except Cruz and Sobreviñas.

Caritas head positive, too

Caritas Manila executive director Fr. Anton Pascual was also reported to have tested positive for the virus over the weekend, along with other officials of the church-based non-profit organization.

Pascual, also the president of Radio Veritas, is currently confined at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center while the others who tested positive are in quarantine.

The offices of Caritas Manila on Jesus Street in Pandacan are on “lockdown” until March 28, during which there would be a two-day disinfection of the premises.

Still, Caritas Manila – the social arm of the Archdiocese of Manila – assured those in need of continued service especially those affected by COVID-19 through its thousands of volunteers.