Monsignor Hernando Coronel, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said the faithful can offer a moment of prayer for their departed loved ones and hold family reunions at the cemetery.
"When we go to cemeteries, we urge people to pray," he said. "But it is also time to meet our relatives, our friends and our acquaintances. Those who passed away — we remember them. They are brothers and sisters who have gone ahead of us. So there should be respect."
Speaking to reporters at the CBCP offices in Intramuros, Manila, Coronel said some towns and cities ban the bringing of food and soft drinks inside cemeteries but others allow people to eat their meals in an assigned area.
"As long as they are wholesome reunions, I do not know what is allowed in particular cemeteries," he said. "But we should refrain from (drinking alcohol and gambling). Playing music, peaceful music (not loud). We encourage family gatherings."
Coronel said Catholic catechism teaches respect for the dead and that the faithful must remember to pray for those who have passed away.
"The dead are bodies of the human beings, and the human body is the temple of the Holy Spirit," he said. We urge our people during this time to pray because there is a certain period during the year when we remember our dead."
Coronel said people in cemeteries should pray for the dead whose grave has not been cleaned and where candles and flowers have not been placed.
"We do not only pray for our dear ones, but we also pray for those who have been forgotten already, whom nobody remembers," he said.
Coronel said the Church teaches the "Communion of the Saints," which means that the Church is not just the faithful on earth but also the blessed spirits in heaven.
"The poor souls in purgatory are part of the Communion of Saints," he said. "We view purgatory as the final purification of the elect. They are already destined for heaven. But there is the purification stage entering the bliss of the Lord."
The faithful must offer masses, prayers, and works of penance and love for all souls, including those that are dependent on the living, Coronel added.