Covid-19 can’t be contracted in Church – Bishop Olumakaiye

The Diocesan and Missioner, Diocese of Lagos, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), The Rt. Rev. Dr Humphrey Olumakaiye has said that Covid-19 or any other kind of disease cannot be contracted in the Church of God.

Bamisebi made this known in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday, August 11.

Olumakaiye also stated that the pandemic will not stop the principle of sharing the same cup for Holy Communion, adding that it is divine and exceeds tradition.

Daily Times reports the Bishop was reacting to the resumption of physical religious services with a limitation to 50 persons.

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“Without any iota of doubt, we are sure that no virus or any form of the disease can neither survive nor be contracted in the church of God, not even when we use the same cup for Holy Communion; this principle exceeds tradition, it is divine.

“Remember the charge that Jesus Christ gave us that ‘whenever we do this, we do it in remembrance of Him,”’ he said.

Olumakaiye, who made the statement known to Tribune Online said, “One very important thing about that ‘Him’ is that ‘He took up our infirmities (sickness, diseases, etc) and carried our sorrows’ Isaiah 53:4 and Matthew 8:17 so that we will never be sick or be threatened by the prevalence of any disease again. Jesus Christ took it all. Believe it!

“However, in obedience to all laid down protocols of wearing nose masks, regular washing of hand, physical distancing and so on, our churches have made adequate preparations.

“In all of these, let the joy of the Lord be our strength because that is what we will be spreading and not any virus.

“We appreciate the effort of the government in trying to put preventive measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19 pandemic that rocked the whole world.

“We appreciate sincerely our government at all levels for being proactive in their dispositions, as well as our frontline health workers for taking the pains to stand in the gap,” he said.

“As we congregate in our churches, let us humble ourselves with the assurances that it is only God that can help us. Pray, seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways so that the Lord will heal our land of this pandemic.”