I and many others are old enough to recall a quaint document, regarded as obsolete by progressives, known as the United States Constitution. I'll now link to the First Amendment to the Constitution. We tend to think of this amendment solely in terms of free speech, but the amendment protects more rights in addition, namely freedom of religion and freedom of assembly. Yesterday, at a press conference, Governor Hogan of Maryland enacted a ban of all gatherings, including religious, at all locations. Ladies and gentlemen, to be blunt, in that speech he trampled upon the First Amendment.. That scenario was repeated several times throughout the United States.
"But it's for public safety!", you say? Well, listen to the wise words of one of our Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safey and will lose both". Today the excuse for discarding the Constitution is the covid-19 virus. Well, months from now, what will be the excuse when governmental officials wax a little too Orwellian for their britches? More importantly, how will we protect our rights, given that so many of us are now willing to excuse the ever-encroaching camel's nose under the tent?
As disappointed as I am in Governor Hogan, I am even more profoundly disgusted at the wide-spread acquiesence and even approval that this governmental overreach is garnering from American citizens. Have we forgotten who we are as a people? Have we no knowledge of our history, or of our founding documents? Perhaps it's because so many of us are morally weakened by de facto atheism and sensuality (especially regarding sexual matters) that our intellects are now stunted and calcified. Collectively we have become not people, but sheeple, being willing to be led by our noses, provided that we have sufficient creature comforts, entertainment, anything else that might facilitate perpetual childhood. Shame on us!
More importantly, shame on the Church! With a few notable exceptions (thank you, Archbishop Sample and Bishop Strickland), the bishops have gone right along with the suppression of our Faith and even surpassed civic leaders in perfidy. That is precisely what Archbishop Gregory did yesterday; he surpassed Hogan via his draconian measures. Reading his press release again, Gregory claimed to be "following public safety directives made by Governor Hogan". However, Hogan's ban on public gatherings only applies to gatherings in excess of 250 people, not all gatherings. Why did Gregory cancel all Masses? We probably heard that Archbishop Lori limited Mass attendance to 250 people while dispensing the Sunday obligation. I'll leave debate of that for another possible post. At least in Baltimore Masses are still happening. Moreover, during weekday Masses the attendance is nowhere close to 250. Yet Gregory canceled every public Mass. I must also point out that Gregory canceled Masses in Washington DC, clearly outside of Hogan's jurisdiction. If the DC government issued a similar injunction, I find no record of that. This action of Gregory's, whatever the motive, is an abysmal disgrace. In a crisis such as this, more Masses are needed, not less.
Thankfully a few prelates understand that they are bishops and most see to the eternal salvation of their flock. Archbishop Sample of Portland OR reiterated the right of the faithful to receive Holy Communion on the tongue. There is no blather of Masses curtailed in his archdiocese. Bishop Strickland of Tyler TX has called for Eucharistic processions for repentance and to beg for healing. The Polish Bishops' Conference stated that it's unconscionable to close churches and that more Masses are needed.
Mindful of these events and the fast-approaching St. Patrick's feast day, I post the video below. It seems quite appropriate, given that many of us will either have to travel far and wide for Mass or even do without it.
"But it's for public safety!", you say? Well, listen to the wise words of one of our Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safey and will lose both". Today the excuse for discarding the Constitution is the covid-19 virus. Well, months from now, what will be the excuse when governmental officials wax a little too Orwellian for their britches? More importantly, how will we protect our rights, given that so many of us are now willing to excuse the ever-encroaching camel's nose under the tent?
As disappointed as I am in Governor Hogan, I am even more profoundly disgusted at the wide-spread acquiesence and even approval that this governmental overreach is garnering from American citizens. Have we forgotten who we are as a people? Have we no knowledge of our history, or of our founding documents? Perhaps it's because so many of us are morally weakened by de facto atheism and sensuality (especially regarding sexual matters) that our intellects are now stunted and calcified. Collectively we have become not people, but sheeple, being willing to be led by our noses, provided that we have sufficient creature comforts, entertainment, anything else that might facilitate perpetual childhood. Shame on us!
More importantly, shame on the Church! With a few notable exceptions (thank you, Archbishop Sample and Bishop Strickland), the bishops have gone right along with the suppression of our Faith and even surpassed civic leaders in perfidy. That is precisely what Archbishop Gregory did yesterday; he surpassed Hogan via his draconian measures. Reading his press release again, Gregory claimed to be "following public safety directives made by Governor Hogan". However, Hogan's ban on public gatherings only applies to gatherings in excess of 250 people, not all gatherings. Why did Gregory cancel all Masses? We probably heard that Archbishop Lori limited Mass attendance to 250 people while dispensing the Sunday obligation. I'll leave debate of that for another possible post. At least in Baltimore Masses are still happening. Moreover, during weekday Masses the attendance is nowhere close to 250. Yet Gregory canceled every public Mass. I must also point out that Gregory canceled Masses in Washington DC, clearly outside of Hogan's jurisdiction. If the DC government issued a similar injunction, I find no record of that. This action of Gregory's, whatever the motive, is an abysmal disgrace. In a crisis such as this, more Masses are needed, not less.
Thankfully a few prelates understand that they are bishops and most see to the eternal salvation of their flock. Archbishop Sample of Portland OR reiterated the right of the faithful to receive Holy Communion on the tongue. There is no blather of Masses curtailed in his archdiocese. Bishop Strickland of Tyler TX has called for Eucharistic processions for repentance and to beg for healing. The Polish Bishops' Conference stated that it's unconscionable to close churches and that more Masses are needed.
Mindful of these events and the fast-approaching St. Patrick's feast day, I post the video below. It seems quite appropriate, given that many of us will either have to travel far and wide for Mass or even do without it.
Masses Cancelled in Archdiocese of Baltimore https://www.archbalt.org/masses-cancelled-in-archdiocese-of-baltimore/
ReplyDeleteThank you. So the nation's oldest diocese has joined the ranks of the quivering feckless crowd. Here's hoping that Arlington holds out; I don't have high hopes for that, since it is a suffragan diocese of Baltimore. But at least I made it down there tonight and received Communion.
DeleteSaint Padre Pio said,
ReplyDelete“The Earth could exist more easily without the sun than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.”
As always a superbly thought out piece. We have been suppressed here in the Archdiocese of Boston as well. We have been blessed with a chapel run by the SSPX a few towns over from us and there is mass there today. Check out Gemma ODoherty on Twitter, she is in Dublin Ireland and is a wonderful Catholic and true Irish patriot, she did a tweet about the numerous Mass rocks in Ireland and encouraged her fellow Irish Catholics and priests to find one and have masses there should masses be suppressed.
ReplyDeleteThank you for speaking up. Considering the actually mortality of Corona for all who will ever get infected, its totally ridiculous to suppress Catholic Services of any kind. https://fromrome.info/2020/03/15/why-that-3-4-mortality-rate-is-a-lie/
ReplyDeleteSSPX still holding masses. Was able to go yesterday. And if ever there was a time to head to a Latin Mass it is now. Folks you will never be safer or feel safer than in the presence of our Lord during the Mass of the Ages the way it was always intended.
ReplyDeleteTheologically, your post is littered with holes. Constitutionally, you cherry picked (poorly) parts to suit your intended desire. Historically, you missed numerous times the Church has made this call during pandemics and plagues. I’d suggest you get off your soap box, take a step back, and decide if you post is evangelical and calling those to Christ, or simply an emotional response because you were angered by something that affected your routine.
ReplyDeleteIf you think this post is deficient, I welcome your point-by-point rebuttal. Any other reader is welcome to join the discussion.
Delete