Pa. Catholic conference: Gov. Wolf failed to protect ‘humanity’s most vulnerable lives’ with Down syndrome abortion veto

Washington D.C., Feb 1, 2017 / 04:16 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The U.S. bishops are concerned by the Trump administration’s decision to maintain a “troubling” Obama-era executive order that could demand federal contractors violate their re… […]

Little Rock, Ark., Mar 13, 2020 / 05:55 pm (CNA).- As efforts to thwart the coronavirus pandemic continue, one diocese has announced that public Masses will be suspended until after the celebration of Easter, and that only new Catholics entering the Church will be permitted at parish and diocesan Triduum Masses and services.

The Easter Triduum is regarded as the high point in the Church’s liturgical year. But the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas, told CNA that while it is difficult to keep Catholics away from Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, it also seems necessary.

“We made this decision out of an abundance of caution,” Deacon Matt Glover, Little Rock’s diocesan chancellor, told CNA.

“This is a preventative measure for our more vulnerable populations,” Glover added.

The measure was announced in a March 12 letter from Little Rock’s Bishop Anthony Taylor. While numerous dioceses have announced this week the suspension of public Masses, Taylor’s was the first letter to make specific mention of the Easter Triduum. Many other dioceses have suspended public Masses until the weekend of Palm Sunday, apparently hoping to resume services for Holy Week.

“While COVID-19 is unlikely to be serious for most people, we have an obligation to care for the very young, the aged, and those with compromised immune systems. And the best way we can care for them is minimizing large group gatherings for the time being,” Taylor wrote.

Those entering the Church at Easter will be permitted to attend Triduum services, while others will watch online or on television.

Glover acknowledged that there have been only few cases of COVID-19 in Arkansas; as of Friday there are six documented cases in the state. But he said that the diocese wants to be sure not to contribute to the viral spread. He added that if COVID-19 does not become widespread in Arkansas, the diocese will reconsider its decision.

“In two or three weeks time, if things go well, COVID-19 is contained, with no community spread, then there is nothing to say that we wouldn’t lift the prohibition, but we made this decision to be cautious,” he added.

The deacon said that some people in the diocese have expressed gratitude for a proactive decision. But he acknowledged that others have expressed frustration.

“I would be upset if there weren’t people upset,” Glover told CNA. “It’s a sign of people’s strong faith when they’re upset that they can’t go to Mass, receive the Eucharist, or attend Triduum services,” he added.

Glover said that the Diocese of Little Rock is trying to make the best decisions possible, with the information available. He said he thinks that’s true across the Church. But he said he also recognizes the approach of his diocese might not prove correct.

“We recognize that it could be that we’re way too early on this, and it could be that other places are way too late on this. I don’t think anybody would claim to have the definite right way to handle this.”

“I think diocesan leaders across the country are all just doing the best we can to balance the pros and cons, to make best decisions for the faith of Catholics, and for public health,” he said.

The deacon told CNA that Bishop Taylor and chancery staff will continue to watch what’s happening in the state, and they’ll look forward to hearing from pastors.

“We might make pastoral adjustments going forward,” Glover said. “We want to hear from priests in the field, and from other leaders, about what’s working and what’s not.”

The deacon said that while Masses are suspended, Arkansas priests are not sitting idly.

“We’ve seen priests take the initiative on offering confession and on other things. We hope to build on that [across the diocese].  We want to see what works.”

He said that priests have increased their confession times, begun making more home visits, offered more frequent anointing of the sick, live streamed daily Masses, and found other ways to stay connected to their parishioners.

The deacon said pastoral work amid the trial of a pandemic is impressive.

He also said that while Masses are suspended, the Diocese of Little Rock is concerned that parish and diocesan employees not suffer financial consequences.

“The parishes who rely on passing the collection basket, as opposed to electronic giving, will see numbers go down the longer things last,” Glover said, noting that many rural parishes operate on very thin budget margins.

“We just have to keep an eye on things. We don’t want parishes to suffer financially for it, or the lay staff, who are already underpaid in most instances, to be hurt even more.”

Glover said the diocese is “beginning to think about those bigger picture things,” as it responds to the pandemic, and will consider the best ways to help parishes survive the pandemic. The diocese is also concerned for employees, he said.

“We’re advising pastors to allow staff to telecommute, work from home. We don’t want any of our staff people missing wages. That’s the message that we’re sending out,” the deacon said.

While diocesan and parish leaders make decisions about how best to handle an unforeseen circumstance, Glover said he, and Arkansas’ bishop, will continue to listen to parishioners, and look for creative ways to serve the Church’s mission.

As the pandemic becomes a national emergency, other dioceses may find themselves looking to Little Rock for lessons.

[…]

Washington D.C., Apr 20, 2020 / 03:10 pm (CNA).- Catholics around the world marked Divine Mercy Sunday at home, as public liturgies remain cancelled in many dioceses due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But one parish in Washington, D.C., found a way to bring the Lord to people even amidst the citywide stay-at-home order. 

Msgr. Charles Pope, pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Catholic Church on Capitol Hill, has been organizing a daily Rosary walk during the quarantine, together with six religious sisters of the Servants of the Lord the Virgin of Matará (Servidoras) who live nearby, and the three seminarians who live at the parish.  

For Divine Mercy Sunday, they switched up their routine: instead of departing at their usual 12:30 p.m., they met up in the church, prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet and, at 3 p.m., the hour of mercy, they turned their daily walk into a procession with Msgr. Pope carrying the Eucharist in a monstrance. 

There was a “lot of beautiful response” to seeing the Eucharistic procession, Pope told CNA on Monday, April 20. He said people came out of their homes to adore the Eucharist, made the sign of the cross, and some even pulled over in their cars for a brief moment of prayer.

“For whatever reason we hit a good time when there were a lot of Catholics out in Lincoln Park,” he said with a laugh.

After the procession returned to the parish, Pope displayed the Eucharist on a table outside of the building, and the group prayed for “an end to the plague.” 

As the Servidoras wear full habits with veils and Pope wears a cassock, he said they form “a pretty visible group” as they walk through the neighborhood. Despite their visibility, Pope said he has had zero negative interactions with the police, and very minimal negative interaction with passers-by. 

“They’re used to us,” he explained. Washington regulations limit gatherings to fewer than 10 people, the size of the Rosary group. 

Pope told CNA that he has been careful to follow whatever norms and laws are in place regarding social distancing, even though the sisters are technically exempt, as they all live in the same household. 

“We don’t want people to misunderstand,” he said. “We do follow the six feet rule.” 

The Rosary walk was the brainchild of the Servidoras, shortly after the suspension of public liturgies. 

“We just thought we still needed to be out in the neighborhood,” said Pope. 

The suspension of public liturgies and the inability to minister in person to his parish has been “utterly emotionally crushing” for Pope, but he told CNA that he has made adjustments to continue serving those in need.

The quarantine “has opened up these other opportunities, like walking in the neighborhood more,” he said, and he has been hosting Bible studies and meetings on Zoom. His parish has been offering unannounced, informal Eucharistic adoration each day, and, he noted, the Archdiocese of Washington has not issued any decree regarding the availability of confession so penitents can still receive the sacrament. 

Pope told CNA that he thinks that some of these changes may continue on even after the quarantine has lifted.

“I’m hoping a lot of the stuff that we’ve done, we can continue doing,” he said. 

“Maybe this is one of the ways the Lord kind of gave us a kick in the pants. ‘I need you to be out in the neighborhood more, I need you to be online more, I want you to find more creative ways to reach people.'”

Still, Pope said that being unable to distribute communion to the faithful has been one of the biggest challenges of the quarantine. 

“The prohibition of giving communion out at all is problematic,” he said, wondering why he would be prohibited from celebrating Mass with just nine other people. He told CNA that he was willing to wear gloves, a mask, or shift liturgical practices to ensure that people can safely receive the sacraments. 

“I would [take whatever precautions were necessary],” he said. “Because I care about God’s people. It may feel a little humiliating, but I’m willing to humiliate myself to give them Holy Communion. I want to feed them, I want them to have communion.”

[…]