Amid the influx of people at the historic church on Tuesday morning, 26 November, the rector of the Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA (EDSA Shrine) reminded the public to observe proper decorum and respect in the sacred place.
In a statement, Rev. Fr. Jerome Secillano noted that as of 6:00 AM, hundreds of people had gathered at the shrine "for reasons only known to them, and for some, unknown to them."
Secillano said they were warmly welcomed inside the Shrine and they participated in the celebration of the 7:00 AM mass.
"After the mass, they opted to stay inside and were again accommodated and not shooed away as alleged by some," he added.
The prelate said they again attended the mass at 12:15 PM and filled up the pews "which do not normally happen on weekdays."
Secillano added 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."
He stressed that people will not be allowed to "eat, drink, carry slogans, shout, vlog, sleep, make noise, debate, and loiter in areas leading to the doors of the shrine."
"The latter will give the impression to mass-goers, pilgrims, and devotees that the Shrine is not available for worship and prayer," Secillano said.
"We insist that proper decorum be practiced in this sacred place, a house of worship and a repository of the Blessed Sacrament, he added.
Unruly behavior and untoward activities "that may compromise the sanctity and dignity of the House of God," will not be tolerated, the rector said.
Secillano said the Shrine will have its normal operations and conduct its usual routine.
"Let us all pray that whatever may have caused this sudden surge in the number of 'shrine-goers' may be dealt with utmost sobriety and decency," he added.
Built in 1989, the EDSA Shrine is a small church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila located at the intersection of Ortigas, Avenue and EDSA in Quezon City.
The Shrine is the site of two peaceful demonstrations that toppled Presidents Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and Joseph Estrada in 2001.
Amid the rift between the Dutertes and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., several Duterte loyalists urged fellow supporters to hold their own people power movement to express their dissatisfaction with Marcos Jr.'s administration.
