It is not my purpose in this post to discuss the inherent merits or demerits of masks (for another post). In fact, I will uphold the private property rights of owners and/or custodians to determine what attire must be worn to gain admittance to the premises. Indeed, it would be a delightful thing if pastors insisted upon a modicum of decency in attire - for both men and women - as people approach Our Lord.
The issue is this. Jesus, as a Person, is Divine. He always has been. He has two natures, but is Divine. It is blasphemy to depict Him as one who can get sick and/or spread disease, and that is precisely what this picture is doing. It is not cute, it is not humorous, it is not harmless. Fifty years ago, no sane person would dare have been so flippant with His image. The same thing holds with pictures of Our Lady. We are seeing her similarly mocked. Recall that she was conceived without original sin and its effects. Pictures of her masked fly in the face of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
I do not mean to impugn the motives of the parish staff. I've been told they simply wanted to introduce "lightness" in the face of the pandemic situation. Be the motives ever so benign, they don't mitigate the damage done by the blasphemy. What heresy does this communicate to children and to those poorly catechized?
From what I'm hearing, Lourdes is not the only parish so blighted. These pictures, and pictures of a masked Blessed Mother, are being found in several parishes. Truth be told, I don't see that much difference between these masked pictures and some of the vandalism that is running rampant. The motives might be different, but the outcomes are still the same.- defaced and mutilated images of Our Lord and Our Lady.
CORRECTION - There is at least one other crucial difference between the vandalism and this blasphemy. Many of the vandals profess no religion at all. I think we can safely assume that none of them are ordained priests. The blasphemy at Lourdes is being committed by an ordained priest of the Roman Catholic Church. As such, he is an "alter Christus". More's the disgrace - and possibly sacrilege against the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Here is contact information for Our Lady of Lourdes. Please email Father Walsh, being both respectful and direct. Tell him that there are other ways to properly communicate the masking policies of the parish without joining Antifa and Black Lives Matter in disrespecting Our Lord.
