BREAKING! Archdiocese Of Washington Suspends Masses Until Further Notice!!!

This from the Catholic Standard.  Archbishop Gregory has SUSPENDED ALL PUBLIC MASSES "UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE", whatever the hell "further notice" means!   Ostensibly he is complying with Governor Hogan's order to cancel public gatherings. 

Remember the First Amendment?  That's not only about free speech.  It also guarantees freedom of religion and freedom of assembly.  So does the United States Constitution now get trampled in the name of so-called "public safety"?  What excuse will it be the next time some public official gets a little too Orwellian in his/her brain?  If we gave Hogan the benefit of doubt, perhaps he only meant to curtail gatherings in public arenas.

But Church buildings are not public arenas.  While open to the public, they are under private ownership - ownership of the Church.  I am not sure Hogan meant to encompass religious services, for then the directive wouldn't have come from Gregory.

But the directive is coming from Gregory?  Why?  If anything else, a sane bishop would realize that in this time of trial and possibly chastisement, we need more Masses, not less.  Speaking of "Gregory", I wrote a bit about another "Gregory" and his excellent response to a similar situation.  Yes, our local ordinary is acting a bit too ordinary.

Satan would like nothing more than to see the obliteration of Holy Mass and too many prelates, from the pope on down, are unwittingly following his lead.  At least I hope, for their sake, that they are doing so unwittingly.

Of course, we are "dispensed", but I will be driving out of area to another Mass, praying that surrounding bishops have more sense.