Cruel Coronavirus Pandemic-Part II
The pandemic extended its unhappy effects beyond the national economy to the sacred realm of the spiritual as well.
The restrictions enforced under the State of Emergency lockdown included a ban on Sunday services at the initial stages.
The leader of the Catholic Church, Archbishop Alapati Mataeliga, was the first to respond in an address to the church faithful when the ban came into effect.
Newsline Samoa reported on the vigorous reaction by the church leader at the start of the 15-day emergency ban from the 21 March -4 April 2020 :
Archbishop Mataeliga, in an address to the faithful at the start of the week, on the Catholic Church Television station Upu Mana, criticized the ban as a forced takeover of the role of the clergy without them having any say in the matter.
His Grace denounced a state versus religion move comparable to Communist Government rule and a reminder of German’s Hitler.
The church leader also took stern exceptions to members being treated as criminals by the police, when they turned up inside church at the Mulivai Cathedral while a mass service was in progress.
The police presence was condemned to be in violation of the sanctity of the holy place.
“We would have welcomed a call for us to get together and agree on an alternative that would benefit everyone but we were denied any say before the decision on the ban,” argued the church leader.
“This decision goes against the role of the church, what we do in the name of the Lord will always be rewarded.
“Sunday is the day set aside especially for us to pray to God and it is why these expensive church buildings were built.”
The Archbishop believes that Samoa is free from the virus because of the faith shown through prayers and the fasting by the country.
“Samoa so far is free of the virus but I doubt the country will be spared because the faithful are being prevented from the worshipping of God.”
His Grace called on Government to reconsider the Sunday ban and is also urging public to show support for the call by standing together.
The concerned reaction from His Grace took on a happier note when follow extensions of the lockdown restrictions allowed for only one service per Sunday.
The National Council of Churches. NCC, did not have a problem with the approved arrangement.
Cabinet went over the lockdown ban on church services with heads of the various denominations and they accepted.
The NCC had already offered their support of the lockdown restrictions before they came into effect.
NCC General Secretary Rev. Maauga Motu assured they had not put any extra pressure on Government for a return to normal services.
A Newsline Samoa report on the position of the NCC revealed a concern by Rev. Maauga towards some of the criticisms coming from the churches :
The General Secretary did not take kindly to religious critics who are challenging the health security restrictions with the assertion that God has the power to heal.
Rev. Ma’auga pointed to similar complaints by church goers in countries where the disease has already killed people as worth noting.
“I’ve watched complaining church leaders in countries already infected by the virus, question the faith of the Government in the healing powers of the Lord, but to me that is putting God to the test to keep them safe as they pray,” Rev. Ma’auga took note.
“ The truth of the matter is the virus is not going to spare you because you’re in church praying . What we have to remember is that people in leadership are appointed by God too.
“ We believe that the leadership decisions they make are inspired by the Holy Spirit and when they believe it is safe to return to holding church services so be it.”
The reaction was not all grim or hard-faced to the lockdown restrictions. Funeral parlours started to take note of interesting changes starting to show with the quick turnover in the service.
Families who placed the bodies of loved ones at funeral parlours around the country gave them only a short stay before burial.
Here is how the Newsline Samoa reported the reaction from the funeral parlours:
The main funeral parlours at Ligaliga and Sefo Pa’u noticed the quick turnaround trend since the COVID -19 emergency lockdown started and now into its 5th week.
Large gatherings of people in groups are among the restrictions under the emergency lockdown orders, but it is not the reason for the shorter stays that are becoming noticeable at funeral parlours.
The closing of Samoa’s borders to international travel is the main reason.
“There’s no point in families keeping their loved ones longer than they have to because overseas relatives are no longer able to travel home to attend funeral services,” Ana Pa’u, manageress of Sefo Pa’u Funeral noted.
“Bodies were normally kept up to a week or two weeks but since the lockdown families are taking them out as early as after three days.”
General Manager of the Ligaliga Funeral Parlour, Tofilau Hennie, also confirmed the brief time span for bodies they too have attended to.
“It’s hardly anywhere near a week since the lockdown these past few weeks.”
Funerals are almost always held up while the families wait for relatives living outside of Samoa to fly in to attend and make their final farewells.
Many of the families are also finding it easier and quicker to proceed with their funerals without the delays of added cultural protocols to be followed in the passing of a person.
The strain of the lockdown restrictions on the country was easily seen and felt in all of the community sectors.
The Ministry of Police as the enforcement arm for the all the lockdown restrictions felt the strain more acutely in their line of work.
Among the worst offenders they encountered were supermarkets still doing business beyond closedown times.
Here is what the situation was like in this Newsline Samoa report :
The constant rush to check on reported lockdown violations is putting unwanted strain on the patience of the police with the extra workload to keep order.
The worst violators appear to be supermarkets sneaking in sales beyond the restricted opening hours.
A senior police spokesman said fines of $5000 were charged against some of the supermarket when closing time was first set at 4.00pm in the evening and $7000 for any repeat violation.
“Opening time is now extended to 6.00pm and still we have shops reported to be doing sneak business beyond closing time and this time by using the back door,” the senior police spokesman said.
Supermarkets tried to keep business running through open windows or half closed doors with the first lockdown closing time.
Since the new closing times were put back reports are reaching the police with some of the shops doing business from the backdoor after hours away from the prying eyes of the police.
“This is happening not just inside the town area but further out in the villages,” the senior police spokesman added.
The Ministry of Police ended up issuing fines for SOE violations worth $45 thousand tala by the month of August.