With Christmas just over a week away, Archbishop of Bombay Cardinal Oswald Gracias on Tuesday sounded a note of caution, asking churches and parishioners to follow the guidelines in place in view of the pandemic.

Issuing a slew of guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for churches across the diocese for Christmas, Cardinal Gracias reminded the Council of Deans and the parishioners that Section 144 is still in effect in the city and an assembly of over 200 people is not permitted. Police have made no relaxations in this regard, he added.