Theology and Religious Education Department De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines 0922.
J Public Health (Oxf). 2021 Jun 7;43(2):e366-e367. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab082.
The Filipino people are known for their strong religious faith. Even in the midst of the most trying moments of their collective history their faith remains steadfast. The isolation brought by the COVID-19 pandemic did not stop the Filipino Catholic faithful from expressing their faith but made it stronger. Allowed by the government to attend Church celebrations, the Filipino Catholic devotee flocked in the Quiapo Church just to attend the feast of the Black Nazarene and had a chance to hold its image with a firm conviction that the grace of God could protect them from the pandemic. However, the local medical experts called their devotion, in this time of crisis, as a 'superspreader', a sign not of hope but of despair.
菲律宾人民以其坚定的宗教信仰而闻名。即使在他们的集体历史上最艰难的时刻，他们的信仰仍然坚定不移。COVID-19 大流行带来的隔离并没有阻止菲律宾天主教徒表达他们的信仰，反而使他们的信仰更加坚定。政府允许他们参加教堂庆祝活动，菲律宾天主教信徒涌入基巴奥教堂，只是为了参加黑拿撒勒节的庆祝活动，并有幸拿着它的形象，坚信上帝的恩宠可以保护他们免受疫情的影响。然而，当地医学专家称他们在这个危机时刻的奉献是一种“超级传播者”，这不是希望的象征，而是绝望的象征。
