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People join hands during a service at St. Katharine Drexel Church in Chester, Pa. (CNS photo/Sarah Webb, CatholicPhilly.com)
March 13, 2020
Catholic San FranciscoMany dioceses in the U.S. have suspended Sunday Masses and others have lifted Catholics' obligation to attend, in a growing response to protect the vulnerable from the coranavirus pandemic.
Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez termed it a "grave and extraordinary moment" to dispense Catholics from their obligation to attend Sunday Mass for the next three weeks. He also asked parishes to make preparations to limit the numbers of people attending Masses to 250, citing recommendations from California public health officials.
"We need to approach this emergency with faith and confidence in God and also with prudence," Archbishop Gomez said in a March 13 message to the faithful issued on AngelusNews.com.
Sunday and weekday Masses will continue in the Archdiocese of San Francisco but the obligation to attend weekly is suspended "for those who are healthy but feel anxiety from fear of contracting the virus in a large public gathering, I hereby dispense them from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass," Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said March 13. He expanded on a March 9 directive for the ill and those whose condition makes them vulnerable to infection.
"Other Masses and religious services that are not essential, or for which it is not essential that they be held at this time, are to be cancelled or postponed. Some services, such as funerals and weddings, may or may not be deemed essential at this time, depending on circumstances," Archbishop Cordileone said.Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto granted a Sunday Mass dispensation March 11 for those 60 and and older as well as the sick and extended to all the faithful March 13 in response to new instructions from state and local public health officials.
"In granting this dispensation I remind the Catholic Faithful to properly observe the third commandment, Keep Holy the Lord’s Day," Bishop Soto said. "The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us: On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body. Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest.”
He encouraged the faithful to offer a rosary on Sundays for the intention of all those afflicted by the virus as well as for the sanctification of the faithful and clergy during Lent. "I recommend a family recitation of the rosary as a healthy and holy practice during Lent as well as throughout the year," Bishop Soto said.
Masses in the Diocese of San Jose are suspended as of March 14, Bishop Oscar Cantú announced, saying Santa Clara County, together with the greater Seattle area, has been at the epicenter of the spread of the virus in the U.S.
"In my recent discussions with county health officials, I have been told that we have reached the exponential phase of the epidemic, with the number of those testing positive for the virus expected to rise dramatically," he said in a March 13 announcement.
"As a Diocese, our top priority remains the health and safety of our families, children, and the vulnerable of our community," Bishop Cantú said, requesting that all parishes, missions and chapels in diocese suspend all public Masses beginning Saturday, March 14, until further notice.
He said baptisms, weddings and funerals may be celebrated but should be limited to immediate family. Faith formation classes should be suspended and all parish gatherings are suspended.
The Diocese of San Bernardino will continue to hold Masses but the weekly Mass obligation is lifted in view of anxiety about the pandemic, Bishop Gerlald Barnes said.
"The celebration of the Eucharist is central and essential to our practice of faith and I feel it is my responsibility as the Chief Shepherd of this Diocese to continue to make this Sacrament available to the people. At the same time, I do recognize the anxiety that some may feel about entering large public gatherings, particularly those individuals who are of an age or health status that makes them more vulnerable to the virus," he said.
Other dioceses that have announced Catholics have no obligation to attend Sunday Mass include the dioceses in Ohio and Colorado and the dioceses of Providence, Rhode Island; Raleigh, North Carolina; Peoria, Illinois; Buffalo, Albany and Rockville Center, New York; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Trenton, New Jersey; Arlington, Virginia; and Green Bay, Wisconsin; and the archdioceses of St. Paul and Minneapolis, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, and Philadelphia.
Those that have canceled public Masses include the archdioceses of Seattle, Washington, Chicago, Newark, New Jersey, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the dioceses of Salt Lake City and Little Rock, Arkansas. In addition, many diocese have announced the closure of schools for a period of two weeks or more and the suspension of sporting events and other large-group parish events.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus since, even before the suspension of public Masses and school closings, U.S. Catholic dioceses have taken precautions to guard against the virus' spread. Among the most common preventative measures have been urging reception of holy Communion in the hand, suspension of distribution of the Communion cup and exchanging the sign of peace without physical contact.
They also all have been reminding parishioners to take commonsense steps related to hygiene in their personal lives.
In the Chicago Archdiocese, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich said March 13 that suspending public celebration of the Mass "was not a decision I made lightly."
"The Eucharist is the source and summit of our life as Catholics," he said in a statement. "And our schools and agencies provide essential services to many thousands across Cook and Lake Counties.
"But, in consultation with leaders from across the archdiocese, for the sake of the safety of our students, parishioners, and all the women and men who serve the people of the archdiocese, it is clear that we must take the better part of caution in order to slow the spread of this pandemic."
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock urged Catholics in his diocese to remain strong, rely on their faith and follow protocols issued by health officials to avoid the coronavirus and keep themselves and others healthy.
"As we continue to battle this public health crisis as a church and as a country, let us not lose sight of the fact that for us Christians, our ultimate peace and hope rests in Jesus Christ," Bishop Taylor said.
"Through the hard work of our dedicated health professionals, and with our cooperation and our faith in Jesus Christ, we will make it through the trying times that are sure to come over the weeks and months to come," he added in a statement.
"Although these measures (to cancel public Masses, etc.) may seem drastic," Bishop Taylor said, "our faith also binds us together in ways that run deeper than our public gatherings. Let us continue to pray for one another, and know of my fervent prayers for all of you during these times."
In the Archdiocese of Washington, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory echoed his brother bishops in saying his decision to close schools and cancel public celebration of Masses "does not come lightly."
"My number one priority as your archbishop is to ensure the safety and health of all who attend our Masses, the children in our schools, and those we welcome through our outreach and services," he said. "We are profoundly saddened that we are not able to celebrate our sacraments as a community for the time being, but we know Christ remains with us at all times -- specifically in times of worry like this."
In the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, a statement from archdiocesan officials said the Eucharist is the way people "encounter the mystery of our redemption, are nourished by God’s word, and receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.
There is a "grave obligation" for Catholics to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, it said, but a "just cause," like keeping worshippers safe from the pandemic, can allow for releasing them from the obligation. The decision comes "out of an abundance of concern for the health and well-being of the people of God."
Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis, in announcing the lifting of the Mass obligation in his archdiocese, asked that people join him in a "special day of fasting, abstinence and prayer invoking God's help in these challenging days for our archdiocese, our country and the world."
That day will be March 18, between the feast of St. Patrick, on March 17, and the feast of St. Joseph, on March 19, he said.
"On that day, I invite Catholics who are ordinarily bound to observe fast and abstinence on Ash Wednesday to prayerfully make this same sacrifice next Wednesday," Archbishop Hebda said.
Regarding Sunday Mass, even for those who stay home, Sunday remains a holy day, the archbishop said. Catholics should still observe the Lord’s Day by making a spiritual communion while watching Mass online, on TV, or radio, he said.
One answer for Catholics in dioceses with no public Masses being celebrated or those Catholics who must refrain from attending Mass because of health concerns might be to view Mass at home via a new, simplified website launched by the CatholicTV Network in the Boston Archdiocese March 13.
At www.WatchtheMass.com, viewers can watch the Mass in English every day from Sunday to Friday and the Mass in Spanish every Sunday.
Boston Auxiliary Bishop Robert P. Reed, president of CatholicTV, said: "The launch of this new website comes in response to the quarantines, travel restrictions and church closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CatholicTV Network seeks to serve Catholics who cannot get to Mass during this time of crisis and asks dioceses to share this resource with all their parishes."
Catholic News Service contributed.