Hundreds of people showed up at the EDSA Shrine last November 26 which the church officials did not expect as it was unusual to have this many attendees on a weekday.
In a statement issued by the Rector of EDSA Shrine Fr. Jerome Secillano on Facebook, he stated that people arrived at the shrine as early as 6 am, with many joining the church’s mass at 7 am.
“After the mass, they opted to stay inside and were again accommodated and not shooed away as alleged by some,” the Rector said. “They again attended the mass at 12:15 pm and we were glad that they filled-up the pews which do not normally happen on weekdays.”
He added that “they will be allowed again to stay inside the shrine on the pretext that they are praying and not doing things not proper for a house of worship.”
Activities that are prohibited inside the church include eating, drinking, carrying slogans, shout, vlog, sleep, make noise, debate, and loiter in the areas that lead to the doors of the shrine.
Secillano pointed out that proper decorum should be practiced inside the said sacred place and that they “won’t tolerate any unruly behavior and untoward activities that may compromise the sanctity and dignity of the House of God.”
Although the reason for the unexpected surge of attendees at the shrine is still unclear, some social media users speculate that people went there for political activity.
One user wrote, “EDSA Shrine is NOT a venue for any kinds of rally both religious and political for god’s sake may ‘people power monument’ tayo para sa mga ganyang kilos protesta [we have a ‘people power monument’ for those kinds of protests].”
“It is sad na yung mga taong galit na galit sa people power nambabastos dyan sa edsa shrine. ang hirap ipasa Diyos ng mga iyan hay nako [It is sad that people who are really angry with people power are being disrespectful in EDSA Shrine. It’s hard to pray for these people, oh my],” a second user wrote.
A third user wrote, “Praying that the place will be delivered from the contaminations of personal vendettas of warring groups . RESPECT THE PLACE..”
In December 1989, the EDSA Shrine was created in honor of Mary, Queen of Peace, who was thought to have contributed to the nonviolent and bloodless People Power Revolution that overthrew former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in 1986.
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