In an unprecedented move, taken in the face of a far from unprecedented situation, the bishops of the United States and around the world have decided to deprive the Catholic faithful of participating in the sacrifice of the Mass.
The deprivation was enacted with good reasons: the raging coronavirus has caused entire cities in the United States, and entire countries around the world to “lock down” in order to protect their citizens from infection by the virus. As of this writing, at least 13,000 people worldwide, including 28 priests in Italy have perished from the virus.
But while the bishops’ action is thoroughly understandable, prudential, and charitably intentioned, it goes too far—and may even be socially, not to mention spiritually, counterproductive. The Mass is the incarnation of goodness. Keeping the faithful out of Mass, out of fear that they might get sick, keeping them away from that source of goodness, undercuts the graced courage of the faithful. For if even going to Mass is too dangerous, God forbid the faithful should approach the sick and take care of and comfort the dying, as so many Catholics have done in so many plagues throughout the centuries! It is the Mass that gave St. Mother Teresa and St. Damien and so many others the courage to step up and help the diseased and dying because the Mass told them that those they were helping were made in the image of Christ, but it also told them that they themselves were the image of Christ—and what would Jesus do? The recent experience of a doctor in Italy is illustrative:
“Never in my darkest nightmares did I imagine that I would have seen and lived through what has been happening here in our hospital for the last three weeks. And the nightmare only grows…Up until two weeks ago, my colleagues and I were atheists; this was normal because we are doctors and we have learned that science proves that God does not exist. I always laughed at my parents when they went to church….
“We realized that we have reached the limits of what man can do. We need God, and we have begun to ask for his help, when we have a few moments free. We speak among ourselves and we cannot believe that we who were fierce atheists are now seeking for interior peace by asking the Lord to help us to resist so that we can take care of the sick….
“I have not been home for six days; I don’t know the last time I ate something; I realize my own worthlessness on this earth, and I want to dedicate my last breath to helping others. I am happy to return to God while I am surrounded by the suffering and death of my fellow men.” –Excerpts from the testimony of Dr. Julian Urban, of Lombardy, Italy, via Marco Tosatti.
Devout San Francisco Catholics and others around the world are devastated by their inability to attend Mass. A San Francisco group offers a suggested solution that is also “thoroughly understandable, prudential, and charitably intentioned”—a blueprint for organizing Masses in such a way that those desiring to attend are in the safest possible environment. It mandates an orderly, properly socially-distancing congregation, limited in number, and controlled by designated ushers.
This initiative, in the form of an open letter to the bishops and including the blueprint, may be seen at RestorePublicMass.com. The website includes a petition to the bishops.
This initiative requires no one to attend Mass during this epidemic. Indeed, the closure of the churches was accompanied by a dispensation from the Sunday obligation, which will remain in force.
Similarly, the Church’s long tradition of care for victims of pestilence and other contagious diseases required no one to work in plague hospitals and care for the suffering. But many did and we remember them with gratitude and reverence.
What they propose seems reasonable. (I went to their website and read what they’re suggesting.) Yet, they don’t explain how Holy Communion would be distributed while maintaining “social distancing.” Even if only the priest presiding, the celebrant, was distributing Holy Communion, he would still be in contact with all the Communicants, one immediately after another.
It seems “spiritual communions” would have to be the norm for those attending (unless I missed something I and others have been unable to think of so far).
Maybe there’s a practical reason for the Bishops rules in current circumstances. As the previous poster points out, Communion distribution appears to present unndessary risks.
So far as I know this is a temporary situation; in the midst of Lent the Bishop’s have asked us to take the unusual step of fasting from Holy Communion. We can react in at least two ways: we can be disobedient and demand what we think we need [going to Mass] or we can become docile and wait upon the Lord. As for me, I wait.
The third (of the Ten Commandments) and the first (of the Six Commandments of the Church) warn that deliberately missing Holy Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation is a mortal sin. However, Church Hierarchy delegated to itself the authority to suspend this requirement. Hold that thought …
Three alternatives are available to me to attend (“assist” in the Traditional Latin Mass rite) Holy Mass. One, times of priest’s private masses are well known. Just sneak inside and pray the Mass. Two, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X continues to have masses locally. Three, same with Greek Orthodox. Four, cloistered nuns have chaplains and daily masses, volunteer as an Altar server.
So, is not assisting at Mass given these alternatives, a mortal sin?
These are sad times, indeed.
Firstly R. Simmons, no where in the 3rd or 6th Commandments does it say that “missing Hoy Mass on Sundays is a mortal sin.” The Decalogue enjoins us to keep the Lord’s Day Holy: that commandment remains, even though you need not go to Mass. And please, your comment that the “Church hierarchy delegated to itself the authority to suspend this requirement,” is impertinent. The Magisterium, (ie the Church hierarchy for you protestants out there) has every right and authority under God to dispense this requirement. People, do check out your Canon Law before saying outrages like this.
It is not mortal sin, nor grave sin. It is not a sin at all. These are not normal circumstances. You could end up killing someone. No guilt is imputed to you for obeying your bishop.
I believe that you, in good faith, mis-state things. The 3rd Commandment requires us to worship the Lord, our God. Nowhere does it specify that this worship is required to be offered on Sunday. The Church, by virtue the “power of the Keys”, has established—as a rule of discipline but not dogma or doctrine—that this MINMAL fulfillment of the Commandment is ordinarily accomplished by attendance at Mass on each Sunday or its vigil. By the same “power of the Keys”, the Church has the power to alter how this minimal fulfillment is satisfied in light of exigent circumstances.
St Thomas Aquinas theologized on the relationship between reason and faith. St Pope John Paul II wrote about the relationship between faith and reason in his encyclical, Fides et ratio. The Catholic Bishops have wisely considered the teachings of these two important leaders in the Church and rightly landed on the reasonable, and pro-life position, of halting public celebrations of the Holy Mass during the COVID19 pandemic. To resume public celebration of the Mass during the pandemic would undoubtedly lead to the death of some participants. Due to the many scandals, the Church is already hemorhaging members. The Church should not take actions which result in the premature death of some of its most loyal – and vulnerable – members ( the elderly, ill, disabled, etc.).