By UCA News reporter
PHILIPPINES – A Catholic archdiocese in the Philippines has expressed its spiritual closeness to the family of a teenager who died by suicide inside a church building, prompting a three-day temporary closure of the church.
The Church of San Francisco de Asis, Naga City, which falls under the authority of the Archdiocese of Caceres, remained closed until Jul 2, The Crux reported on Jul 3.
Father Darius S. Romualdo, the archdiocesan chancellor, stated that the church was closed temporarily after an 18-year-old youth took his life on the premises of the church on Jun 29.
“We extend our heartfelt prayers and compassion to the bereaved family and to all parishioners,” Father Romualdo said in a press statement issued on June 30 without naming the victim or the cause of the suicide.
“The archdiocese is also collaborating closely with the proper authorities,” Romualdo added.
Romualdo emphasized that the Church does not offer judgment on the victim, “but the hope of Christ’s mercy, who came to bind up the wounded and heal the brokenhearted.”
The suicide within the church premises came as a shock to the residents of the Caceres archdiocesan territory, which is a Catholic-majority area.
The archdiocese suspended public liturgical celebrations until the evening of Jul 2, wherein a Rite of Reparation and Healing was held “to restore the church’s sacred character and offer communal healing.”
The archdiocese cited Church laws that call for liturgical directives for the reparation of a sacred space as reasons for the temporary church closure.
Church laws authorize the local bishop to determine if the situation warrants a suspension of worship when a sacred space has been defiled by violence or acts such as suicide.
The archdiocese, while “recognizing the emotional toll” caused by the incident, said it has arranged for the “services of licensed psychologists and trained pastoral counselors.”
The personnel will “provide debriefing, trauma support, and spiritual accompaniment to the immediate family of the deceased, parishioners who witnessed or were affected by the incident, as well as the clergy, staff, and volunteers at the parish,” Romualdo said.
Romualdo urged anyone who may be experiencing distress to “please seek help from a priest, a counselor, or a trusted friend.”
The archdiocese also urged respect for the family and loved ones, while calling for “prudence and sobriety, especially in social media.”
The Philippines has seen an uptick in the number of youths who have considered or tried committing suicide in recent years, Crux reported, citing a 2021 study by the University of the Philippines Population Institute.
Nearly one in five young Filipinos, aged 15 to 24, “have ever considered ending their life,” the study showed, the report said.
According to the study, 17 percent of Filipino youth “have ever thought of committing suicide” in 2021. This is higher than the previous figures of 8 percent in 2013 and 13 percent in 2002.
The study also showed that 7 percent of Filipino youth “have ever tried committing suicide” in 2021, higher than the 3 percent figure in both 2013 and 2002. – UCA News
