Monsignor Charles Pope nails it at National Catholic Register:
The Scriptures warn us of a most serious threat to our spiritual well-being, which is the fear of death:
Now since the children have flesh and blood, [Jesus] too shared in their humanity, so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15).
Yet now, we are manifesting an almost worldwide panic attack over a virus that, however bad it might be, has no power of itself to “separate us from the love of Christ” (Romans 8:35).
One may excuse unbelievers, whom St. Paul describes as “those who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13), but what are we to say of bishops and other Church leaders who have succumbed to pressure to cancel public Masses while bars and restaurants remain open (albeit on a reduced basis)? Food and drink are essential to our physical survival, but the Holy Eucharist is even more essential to our spiritual survival: Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you (John 6:53). And thus we are confronted with deep indignation over the lack of hand sanitizer and surgical masks but too little indignation over the astonishing limits and outright refusal to offer the sacraments to God’s faithful.
Where are our priorities? We are obsessed over a virus but give little attention to the sinful drives that can kill our souls eternally. Too many pastors who have long refused to delineate the requirements of worthy reception of Holy Communion have suddenly discovered a reason to restrict access to Holy Communion from people who, even in a very remote and merely potential way, might incur physical threats to their health.
I simply ask you: Are we majoring in the minors? Physical health has its place, but spiritual health does too — and its place is vastly more important.
Go here to read the rest. In times of danger, or perceived danger, people look to the Church. Masses shut down throughout a nation, as in Italy, is not what they should be seeing.
In fairness, this would have happened even if Bergoglio weren’t Pope. I seriously doubt Pope “My authority ends at that door” Benedict XVI would have reigned in the panic-stricken Italian bishops on this.
@greg
Perhaps. But, in fairness, you can bet Pope Benedict would not be hiding in the Vatican Library talking to a video camera. Francis can’t find the spine to appear at the balcony and pray the Rosary, or any prayer, to end this pandemic. Nope. Won’t happen. Don’t wanna get sick and die. Bet on it.
Kipling’s book on the First Battalion Irish Guards in the Great War has a piece on how the CO ordered the chaplains to stay in the trenches in attacks. They, of course, were insubordinate. Kipling’s quote from the chaplains, “What is a wound when souls are to be saved?”
At Sunday Mass, our very young, good Father Sullivan said he would be available to pray and sit with anyone – no matter what.
It’s wonderful that there is daily Mass. This morning, afterwards, a little team came in to reactivate the unused old style proper confessional and seemed to be dismantling the added-on reconciliation room – a silver lining and hope for spiritual health, speaking of courage.
I read the other day that banning Masses is not a solution but having MORE Masses is and it means smaller crowds in the churches with more space between the faithful.
Can I ask a question? If we were talking about radioactive fallout instead of a virus, with similar statistical risk of illness or death, and with presumably the same chance of Divine protection, would we be talking any differently? I think we would be. I think there are a lot of unstated assumptions in this debate.
I think we would too Tom if Godzilla were stomping through Vatican City, but he isn’t.
OK Don, I’ll take the hint and go away. I hope to be back in a few months to share the good news that God and Trump and the hysterics all played their part to end this threat.
You know, I’d like to think I had enough faith to make a bee line to the nearest Catholic Church. I think my time would be better spent in prayer than in frantically duct taping trash bag over the doors and windows.
Tom, you are welcome any time at this blog as your over a thousand comments indicate. Here we agree and disagree as we attempt to ferret out the truth in the passing events of the day.