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Prayer

A Plague Litany

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It is an ancient tradition in the Catholic Church that when plagues strike the people would recite litanies. A litany is a series of invocations, usually of saints or titles…

It is an ancient tradition in the Catholic Church that when plagues strike the people would recite litanies. A litany is a series of invocations, usually of saints or titles of a saint, that ask for intercessory prayers. A litany is a prayer of petition.

Some litanies are public and others for private use only. The Directory on Popular Piety (No. 235) says, “The Litanies of the Saints contain elements deriving from both the liturgical tradition and from popular piety. They are expressions of the Church’s confidence in the intercession of the Saints and an experience of the communion between the Church of the heavenly Jerusalem and the Church on her earthly pilgrim journey.” Likewise, the Code of Canon Law states in canon 1166 that, “sacramentals are sacred signs which in a sense imitate the sacraments. They signify certain effects, especially spiritual ones, and they achieve these effects through the intercession of the Church.”

Certain litanies were popular when a plague struck a region or nation. Often they invoked saints that were known to be powerful intercessors for the sick or in case of natural disasters. Often they were prayed during processions in an antiphonal manner. One of the more popular litanies during the time of plague was the Litany of the Saints. In addition, particular saints were often called upon singularly or in groups, such as the 14 Holy Helpers.

In this time of pandemic, especially since public worship is difficult or impossible, we can still invoke saints and pray litanies. Popular devotions can help sustain our faith. We believe that we are part of the communion of saints and that their prayers are efficacious. The saints want to help us.

Here is a litany of some of the saints that were often invoked during times of sickness and plague. This litany is for private use only. Feel free to add your own special patrons.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father in Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Mary, Help of the Sick, pray for us.
Holy Mary, Health of the Roman People, pray for us.
Holy Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
Holy Mary, Consoler of the Afflicted, pray for us.

St. Joseph, Spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray for us.
St. Joseph, Hope of the Sick, pray for us.
St. Joseph, Patron of the Dying, pray for us.
St. Joseph, Terror of Demons, pray for us.

St. Michael, Light and Hope of souls near death, pray for us.
St. Michael, our most sure aid, pray for us.
St. Michael, receiver of the souls of the elect after death, pray for us.
St. Raphael, God’s remedy, pray for us.
St. Gabriel, God’s messenger, pray for us.
Guardian Angel, my protector, pray for us.
All you holy angels, pray for us.

St. George, valiant martyr of Christ, pray for us.
St. Blaise, zealous bishop and benefactor of the poor, pray for us.
St. Erasmus, mighty protector of the oppressed, pray for us.
St. Pantaleon, miraculous exemplar of charity, pray for us.
St. Vitus, special protector of chastity, pray for us.
St. Christopher, mighty intercessor in dangers, pray for us.
St. Dionysius, shining mirror of faith and confidence, pray for us.
St. Cyriacus, terror of hell, pray for us.
St. Acacius, helpful advocate in death, pray for us.
St. Eustace, exemplar of patience in adversity, pray for us.
St. Giles, despiser of the world, pray for us.
St. Margaret of Antioch, valiant champion of the Faith, pray for us.
St. Catherine of Alexandria, victorious defender of the Faith and of purity, pray for us.
St. Barbara, mighty patroness of the dying, pray for us.
All you Fourteen Holy Helpers, pray for us.

St. Luke, patron of physicians, pray for us.
St. Agatha, patroness of nurses, pray for us.
St. Martin De Porres, patron of public health, pray for us.
St. Roch, who did expose your life to heal the sick, pray for us.
St. Sebastian, comforter of the dying, pray for us.
St. Corona, patroness of plague victims, pray for us.
St. Benedict, protector of those who cry to you, pray for us.
St. Charles Borromeo, whose selflessness during a great plague won the hearts even of your foes, pray for us.
St. Gregory the Great, whose prayers ended a plague, pray for us.
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, who died as a result of caring for the sick, pray for us.
St. Rosalie, by whose intercession a plague was ended, pray for us.
St. Casimir, known for generosity to the sick, pray for us.
Sts. Cosmas and Damian, holy brother-physicians, pray for us.
St. Camillus de Lellis, patron of the sick and health care workers, pray for us.
St. John of God, patron of hospitals, pray for us.
St. Frances of Rome, dedicated to the sick and the poor, pray for us.
St. Quirinus of Neuss, patron of those affected by plague, pray for us.
St. Anthony the Great, patron of those infected by disease, pray for us.
St. Edwin the Martyr, patron of pandemics, pray for us.
St. Damien of Molokai, compassionate to the sick and outcasts, pray for us.
St. Godeberta of Noyon, who miraculously brought an end to a plague, pray for us.
St. Henry Morse, who cared for plague victims, pray for us.
St. Marianne Cope, who saw in the sick the face of Jesus, pray for us.
Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos, holy priest who died caring for the sick, pray for us.
Blessed Engelmar Unzeitig, chaplain amid an outbreak at Dachau, pray for us.
All holy saints of God, pray for us.

From every evil, Lord save your people.
From every sin, Lord save your people.
From your anger, Lord save your people.
From sudden and unforeseen death, Lord save your people.
From the snares of the devil, Lord save your people.
From anger, hatred, and all ill-will, Lord save your people.
From the spirit of uncleanness, Lord save your people.
From lightening and tempest, Lord save your people.
From the scourge of earthquake, Lord save your people.
From plague, famine, and war, Lord save your people.
From everlasting death, Lord save your people.

Be merciful to us sinners, Lord, hear our prayer.
That you will spare us, Lord, hear our prayer.
That you will pardon us, Lord, hear our prayer.
That it may please you to bring us to true repentance, Lord, hear our prayer.
To deliver our souls from eternal damnation, and the souls of our brethren, kinsmen, and benefactors, Lord, hear our prayer.
To give and preserve the fruits of the earth, Lord, hear our prayer.
To grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed, Lord, hear our prayer.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.

Let us pray.

Almighty and eternal God, our refuge in every danger, to whom we turn in our distress, in faith, we pray, look with compassion on the afflicted, grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick, peace to the dying, strength to healthcare workers, wisdom to our leaders and the courage to reach out to all in love, so that together we may give glory to your Holy Name. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Father James Goodwin writes from North Dakota.

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Sacraments

What To Do With No Confession: Forgiveness In The Time Of Coronavirus

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These times are difficult for everyone. The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected virtually every part of our lives. For Catholics, it is a special trial, especially since we cannot go…

These times are difficult for everyone. The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected virtually every part of our lives. For Catholics, it is a special trial, especially since we cannot go to Mass and Confession. It is truly a Lenten penance.

This is not the first time the Church has encountered such a situation. We have been through plagues and natural disasters before where normal sacramental life was disrupted. God does not abandon us in these situations and continues to work through his Church.

For many, right now the fear is that we might become ill or even die without the chance to receive the sacraments. Most priests would be willing to risk going to the dying, but the civil authorities might prevent them. So, what do you do if you are in such a situation and want to go to confession?

The Church’s Code of Canon Law says: “Individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the only ordinary means by which a member of the faithful conscious of grave sin is reconciled with God and the Church. Only physical or moral impossibility excuses from confession of this type; in such a case reconciliation can be obtained by other means” (Canon 960).

Let’s parse that out. The ordinary way we are forgiven for grave, or mortal, sins is by confession. That does not mean there are not extraordinary ways that God can work outside of the sacraments. Note that this is for mortal sins, as venial sins can be forgiven routinely outside of the confessional. The canon says that physical and moral impossibility excuses one from confession. God does not require of us the impossible. How is that determined?

The next canon in the code states that there must be danger of death, insufficient time to hear confessions and grave necessity (see Canon 961). In that situation, general absolution can be given to groups of the faithful. The diocesan bishop is the one who determines this to be the case. All that is required of the faithful is that they be disposed properly and promise to confess their sins when the opportunity becomes possible.

However, what do you do if there is no priest present at all? Fortunately, the Holy See’s Apostolic Penitentiary, the Holy See’s tribunal responsible for issues pertaining to the forgiveness of sins, has responsibility for cases like this and issued a note on March 19:

“Where the individual faithful find themselves in the painful impossibility of receiving sacramental absolution, it should be remembered that perfect contrition, coming from the love of God, beloved above all things, expressed by a sincere request for forgiveness (that which the penitent is at present able to express) and accompanied by votum confessionis, that is, by the firm resolution to have recourse, as soon as possible, to sacramental confession, obtains forgiveness of sins, even mortal ones (cf. CCC, no. 1452).”

This means that if we find ourselves in a grave situation without access to confession, we can make an act of perfect contrition, with the intention of confessing our mortal sins when we can, and God will forgive our sins.

Perfect contrition is sorrow for our sins for the love of God — not just the fear of hell. How can we have that kind of contrition? Most importantly, it is a grace given by God, but God is not stingy with his gifts. If we sincerely want this kind of contrition, we can be sure that God will give it to us. It is not merely a feeling, but a motive. The motive of love for God does not exclude secondary motives, such as fear of hell. Therefore, make the act of contrition, which contains the promise to confess, and know that our loving and merciful God is always ready to offer the graces necessary of salvation. We can predispose ourselves to receiving his grace by the means of prayer and penance. Use this time to pray and grow closer to God. The Apostolic Penitentiary recommends such prayers, devotions and actions: “Visit to the Blessed Sacrament, or Eucharistic adoration, or reading the Holy Scriptures for at least half an hour, or the recitation of the Holy Rosary, or the pious exercise of the Way of the Cross, or the recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to implore from Almighty God the end of the epidemic, relief for those who are afflicted and eternal salvation for those whom the Lord has called to Himself.” We can all gain a plenary indulgence to help us to live in a state of grace.

We can also receive a plenary indulgence at the time of death. The Apostolic Penitentiary reminds us:

“The Church prays for those who find themselves unable to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and of the Viaticum, entrusting each and every one to divine Mercy by virtue of the communion of saints and granting the faithful a Plenary Indulgence on the point of death, provided that they are duly disposed and have recited a few prayers during their lifetime (in this case the Church makes up for the three usual conditions required). For the attainment of this indulgence the use of the crucifix or the cross is recommended (cf. Enchiridion indulgentiarum, no.12).”

Like a mother, the Church offers us Christ’s salvation even in extreme circumstances. We don’t need to despair. God is with us and wants to forgive our sins. Make the act of contrition daily and entrust yourself to the infinite mercy of God. He is with you.

Father James Goodwin writes from North Dakota.

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Health Care

Vaccination considerations during the novel coronavirus pandemic

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In healthcare, there are few topics that generate more controversy in our current climate than the topic of vaccinations. This is a perennial issue of concern both for the young…

In healthcare, there are few topics that generate more controversy in our current climate than the topic of vaccinations. This is a perennial issue of concern both for the young and old as there is a great deal of material readily available online that suggests vaccines are either one of the greatest goods or greatest evils of modern medicine. While all will admit that the information available online can be contradictory, it is very difficult for most patients to identify the best path forward. What is a Catholic to do?

While the first successful vaccine was developed in 1796, it was not until the Salk Polio vaccine of the 1950s that routine vaccination became a right of passage in American pediatric medicine. In just a handful of years, annual cases went from a high in 1952 of 57,000 (with 21,000 incidences of paralysis) to about 5,600 cases in 1957. This continued to decline until the last “wild” case of polio was transmitted in 1979. While polio was the most analyzed and documented study of the effects of a vaccine, a similar story occurred with many of the other diseases that we vaccinate for today. As a public health initiative, the use of vaccination to limit the spread of a contagious disease has been nothing short of a major success.

However, the wholly positive outlook on vaccines changed around 1998 when Dr. Andrew Wakefield published an article in the Lancet medical journal suggesting that autism could have been related to vaccination. Ultimately, this article was retracted and Dr. Wakefield’s medical license was revoked because the study was performed in a way that was neither ethically nor scientifically sound. Subsequently, the link between autism and vaccines has been evaluated and deemed to not exist in multiple meta-analytical studies. Despite this, vaccines have continued to be viewed by many with grave concern that stemmed originally from the disingenuous article from 1998.

The concern of Catholics regarding vaccination has continued to increase as well with more attention being given to the role of abortion in vaccine development. Vaccines are available to give immunity to many bacterial and viral diseases; and while bacteria can be grown in a petri dish, the viral illnesses that we have vaccines for require a cell/cell line for their development.

Cell lines

For several viral vaccines (MMR and Hep A among others) the cell lines that continue to be used in vaccine development came from elective abortions in the 1960s and 1970s. “Cell lines” that can continue somewhat indefinitely were begun with embryonic tissue from these abortions, and these vaccines, unfortunately, continue to be developed with these cell lines today. As Catholics, we are right to reject abortion in every instance as an assault against human dignity and rightly question any technology that depends on or benefits from abortion.

Thankfully, in 2005, the Vatican weighed in on the ethical duties of Catholics regarding vaccines that are prepared with cells derived from aborted human fetuses. In summary, there exists an unfair choice for parents; either immunize with these “tainted” vaccines or risk contracting these diseases and potentially spreading them to others at risk, especially the vulnerable who cannot receive the vaccine themselves.

It was stated that “it is right to abstain from using these vaccines if it can be done without causing children, and indirectly the population as a whole, to undergo significant risks to their health. However, if the latter are exposed to considerable dangers to their health, vaccines with moral problems pertaining to them may also be used on a temporary basis. The moral reason is that the duty to avoid passive material cooperation is not obligatory if there is grave inconvenience. Moreover, we find, in such a case, a proportional reason, in order to accept the use of these vaccines in the presence of the danger of favoring the spread of the pathological agent, due to the lack of vaccination of children.”

Taking action

The greatest emphasis, however, was placed on the duty of the faithful to publicly advocate for the production of ethically acceptable vaccines that would successfully protect society from these diseases without relying on cell lines from an abortion to continue producing the vaccine. As such, I would like to invite readers to use my template for a letter below to write the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture these vaccines and urge them to develop ethically sourced vaccines.

Over the last many weeks, the American public has rightly been taking drastic measures to protect society from the coronavirus. In spite of these efforts, many have suffered and died from this disease. It was only a few generations ago, that epidemics were commonplace and the fear, which we recently have been experiencing was widespread. Just as we have a duty now toward the common good and in solidarity with our neighbor to do what we can to stop the spread of the coronavirus, I would assert that we have the same duty to prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases insofar as we are able with fighting publicly for a rejection of any cell lines obtained from abortion. Please consider obtaining the recommended vaccines for yourself and your family and writing the vaccine manufacturing companies to urge the development of ethically sourced vaccines.

Dr. Andrew J. Mullally, M.D. is a physician with Credo Family Medicine in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Sample letter

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing today to protest your ongoing use of aborted fetal cell lines (WI-38 and MRC-5) in vaccine production. The use of cell lines developed in this way is unethical and renders you complicit with abortion in general and the immoral use of these embryos for medical purposes in particular. I am firmly opposed to abortion and am greatly disappointed with your ongoing facilitation of this evil.

As a person who is greatly opposed to abortion, I have a grave responsibility to use alternative vaccines when possible. However, for many vaccines (MMR, HepA, Polio, and Rabies among others), there are no currently available alternatives. As a patient who desires the protection offered from immunizations, you have put me in an unfair and unjust position where I am coerced to choose between passive material cooperation with this evil or going without protection against very serious and preventable diseases. Many, many people are forgoing receiving these vaccinations because of their unethical origins. While this hurts them and our community, they feel that they have no choice. However, this could be resolved by your corporation!

I would like to sincerely implore you to develop ethically sourced vaccines that do not require the use of aborted fetal stem cell lines. If this were done, I know that many patients, including myself, who oppose abortion would wholeheartedly switch to the sole use of that vaccine over the current unethical alternatives. This has already been seen in the market with the nearly universal adaption of Shingrix (GSK) taking market share from Zostavax (Merck) after its introduction. I would like to make a public commitment that when ethically produced alternative vaccines become available, I will actively promote and encourage the preferential use of these vaccines by all.

Sincerely,

Andrew J. Mullally, M.D.

Merck
Merck & Co., Inc.
Vaccine Customer Center
770 Sumneytown Pike
WP53C-307
West Point, PA 19486-0004
877.VAX.MERCK (877.829.6372)
https://www.merckvaccines.com/ContactUs/Pages/home

Sanofi -Aventis
Sanofi US
Sanofi Building D, Corporate Dr
Bridgewater Township, NJ 08807
1-800-VACCINE (1-800-822-2463)
http://www.contactus.sanofi-aventis.us/customerInformation.aspx

GlaxoSmithKline
GSK
Philadelphia Navy Yard
5 Crescent Drive
Philadelphia, PA 19112
1-888-825-5249
https://us.gsk.com/en-us/contact-us/
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Saints

Gregory the Great’s Pastoral Advice Amid Crisis

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Pope St. Gregory the Great thought he was living in the end times. Reigning at the turn of the seventh century, Gregory had served as the prefect for Rome in…

Pope St. Gregory the Great thought he was living in the end times. Reigning at the turn of the seventh century, Gregory had served as the prefect for Rome in his early 30s, resigning after only a year to become a monk. Reluctantly elected pope at the age of 50, his writings give us a window into the widespread chaos of his era as he lamented political overthrows, flooding, plagues and pestilence on all sides.

Today, in our current worldwide crisis, priests can look to Pope St. Gregory for sage advice because he made it his work to prepare extraordinary priests to meet the extraordinary times in which they found themselves. He wrote The Book of Pastoral Rule, a manual used in the training of bishops and priests for the next thousand years. In it, he outlined his ideas on how pastors facing crisis can be “physicians of the heart” in their “cure of souls.”

Gregory’s teachings can be helpful for priests who may be struggling with the demands of serving their parishioners at a distance and also providing the sacraments to the very sick, while themselves facing their own personal trials, doubts and fears. His teachings can also be a source of consolation to the faithful to know of ways their pastors can be attending to them spiritually at such a time.

Spiritual Fatherhood

While priests may not be able to provide their parishioners with the sacraments at this time, there is much that they can do. Gregory, in fact, purposefully expanded his priests’ ministerial roles to become spiritual fathers in new ways.

Gregory has been called the “doctor of desire” because at the center of his teachings for priests was the notion of the heart yearning to be satisfied. Gregory wanted his priests to discern both the movements of the Holy Spirit and the spiritual needs of their charges in order to bring healing to their hearts. In today’s crisis, that is a tall order if pastors can only communicate with parishioners by phone or the internet. Or is it?

In a culture sympathetic to it, scholars have noted that the pastor’s role has migrated into becoming a therapeutic one, which, truth be told, can be exhausting, and really not possible given training and time constraints. While priests may be keeping in good contact with parishioners during this crisis, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to provide counseling to so many parishioners.

Gregory’s idea of spiritual fatherhood, however, bypassed the psychological model for the spiritual. Gregory’s pastors’ hearts longed for God and the discernment of God’s thoughts rather than enlightenment through human reason. Through prayer, Gregory felt, priests could learn what God had in mind for those in his charge.

Fast forwarding to today, keeping in touch with their spiritual children via email or phone, pastors may only be able to provide a few words of prayerful encouragement or advice, but these can and do mean a great deal. Importantly, priests can promise to take intentions to prayer and also share their own intentions for parishioners to pray for as well.

Intercessor

For Gregory, a pastor’s heart belongs to God. His priests were to spend time in meditation and contemplation before God. A very important icon for Gregory in this role of spiritual father was the Old Testament priest Aaron, who bore the burdens of the people on his breastplate as he entered to pray before the Holy of Holies. Gregory’s pastor was also to bear his spiritual children’s burdens on his heart.

Priests do this already, of course. But, Gregory’s teaching can help priests and laity better appreciate this sometimes underemphasized aspect of priestly identity — that of intercessor. Intercession is considered the greatest of charisms and one that the priesthood has in superabundance. At the holy sacrifice of the Mass and in personal prayer, the priest brings our petitions to God.

Spiritual Works of Mercy

Some priests might feel sidelined or out of action during quarantine, but nothing could be further from the truth. Gregory pointed his priests to the Rule of St. Benedict as a model to live a more monastic, ascetical lifestyle. It is also a rule proposing moderation, a key monastic virtue.

Gregory warned priests not be overcome with the excesses and cares of life. Gregory wanted his priests during momentous times to be a model for the laity to lead the kind of contemplative life that showed balance in judgment and balance between inner and outer lives.

The contemplation that Gregory urged of pastors also required the outward reach of mercy. If priests are prevented from performing many works of the corporal works of mercy at this time, they can focus on the spiritual works of mercy.

Pastors, of course, cannot give what they do not have. Returning frequently to the well of prayer and restful study is an antidote to overwork.

Gregory wanted pastors to be preachers, first and foremost. Because he thought it was the end of the world, Gregory thought that the evil one would be influencing learned men to be duplicitous and to give false teachings. So, he urged priests to focus on the study and preaching of the Bible.

With so many ways now to reach out to followers on the internet, pastors can continue to preach to and teach their parishioners in new ways, gaining assistance, if needed, by reaching out to tech-savvy parishioners to make that happen. Shorter online Masses can allow priests to devote themselves to longer sermons. Parishioners are hungry for the Word of God, and to see and hear their beloved pastors.

With the laity leading more cloistered lives at the moment, pastors could help us to grow in relationship with the Lord by giving advice on how to do so. One resource that I always recommend is the practice of lectio divina, that is, divine reading — simply reading and thinking about a scripture passage, letting the Lord speak to us in our hearts. Using each Sunday’s readings is a great way to do that. No books are needed, nor fancy meditation techniques required.

Leading parishioners daily online in the Liturgy of the Hours, Rosary or Divine Mercy chaplet may be other ways to serve and to stay connected, both as leaders and friends.

Lastly, Gregory always looked for signs of the Holy Spirit in his priests’ lives to determine where to send them to serve. If he saw a priest who had the gift of healing, he would send him to work with the sick. Times of crisis can bring out hidden gifts and purposes for the sake of others. God is pouring out His gifts and mercies even and especially in times like ours. Priests can ask themselves what is stirring in their hearts to do in this momentous time and bishops should be discerning that with them.

God gave us St. Gregory, the monk-pope, who is even now teaching priests, from across the centuries, how to face unprecedented challenges with mercy and wisdom for the sake of others. For just such a time as this, God has well prepared his priests to serve Him and His people. Like never before, they have new tools available to serve their parishioners as physicians of the heart. St. Gregory, pray for us.

His feast day is September 3.

Clare McGrath-Merkle, OCDS, DPhil, writes from Maryland.

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Church Seasons and Feasts

Pentecost Amid COVID-19

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In our theological language we speak of the Son as begotten of the Father and the Holy Spirit as “spirated,” which means to be breathed out. The Holy Spirit is…

In our theological language we speak of the Son as begotten of the Father and the Holy Spirit as “spirated,” which means to be breathed out. The Holy Spirit is breathed out by the Father and the Son, the union of their love so intimate and substantial, that he is a third fully equal and one with them.

Pentecost is our annual celebration of this same Holy Spirit breathed out on the world through the Church. The breath of God is given to the Church headed by Christ to guide her members into the fullness of life. That is why we receive this life giving breath: we receive the Spirit in order to be drawn in, and to draw others into, the union of Christ’s Body on pilgrimage to the Father.

The celebration of Pentecost this year will be unlike any other in recent memory, and it will be so because of the tragic irony that we find ourselves contending with a virulent disease whose most notable symptom is its denial of breath. This Pentecost we find ourselves longing to be filled with God’s breath in a world struggling for air.

Of course, compounding the suffering still for many is our inability to physically gather in fellowship as the Church to mark this great solemnity. However necessary this is, it should nevertheless be a source of great lament, for this separation is not the norm. We are inherently social creatures: creatures, who, though spirit, are also flesh. We are tactile, and the manifestation of our communion in spirit is most readily apparent in our intimate gestures of fleshly embrace. Our highest form of union is precisely when we huddle together in joy and thanksgiving to feast on the body of Christ and thereby to become ourselves one body in and through him.

That is the norm, and any derivation from it must necessarily constitute a diminishment, an undeniable deprivation in our lives. But the intimacy of bodies, the intimacy of the Eucharistic fellowship of Christ’s body the Church, is conducive toward one shared and singular end — namely, the perfection of intimacy in God’s life, which is simply love. Where love is absent, no matter how many persons are crammed together, regardless of how many hosts are distributed, there is no unity; there is no life.

The world before the outbreak of the coronavirus was already significantly marked by fracture. Unfortunately, in many ways the virus has only intensified that reality, deepening the fissures. Perhaps most disappointingly, the Church herself has not been immune to this developing fragmentation.

Those of us left wondering how to mark Pentecost this year amid social distancing might simply recall that in spite of our absence from public worship, the Spirit’s invitation to the Church to offer fitting worship (the capacity for this being itself pure gift) persists. This is so because “Church” is not simply showing up for an hour in a building on Sunday (or maybe a few more times a week).

Rather, the Church is realized in the graced response of her members to God’s summons for loving unity. Not the all too prevalent pseudo-unity of an imposed uniformity that ignores, denies or suppresses conflict. Rather, genuine unity, the reconciliation that takes place in truth and charity, necessarily making it a work of God. The Church is most fully herself when she cooperates with the Holy Spirit to foster that unity. In this alone does she convey genuine gratitude for the gift of God’s life, and in turn offers fitting worship expressive of that gratitude.

These weeks of quarantine have eliminated much from our lives (both temporarily and permanently), but it has not eliminated the possibilities for such worship. In fact, in a world, in a nation, even in a Church wracked by disunity, the need for the fitting worship of unity sought is needed now more than ever. Of course, that type of unity — real unity — is not something we achieve on our own. That unity so described is a reflection of, and a participation in, the unsurpassable union of God: Father, Son, and Spirit. It, therefore, requires us always to turn to God in supplication, imploring his favor. And that is why once more at Pentecost we must cry out, “Come, Holy Spirit.”

As is the case in all worship, this worship of lives seeking the communion of our brothers and sisters — which is but the most telling sign of our desired communion with God — is the meeting of the human and the divine. God initiates, but with the expectation of response. There is simply no such thing as passive worship. We are most fully active through the complete offering of ourselves, which is only our replication of the self-offering of God that has made our very lives possible. In this willingness to cooperate, in our openness to be filled with God’s breath, we, as the Church’s members, are able to in turn breathe out God’s breath to a suffocating world. Despite what we must now endure this Pentecost, the possibility for this — and the challenge to do this — still remains.

Father Andrew Clyne writes from Maryland.

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Sacraments

Can Bishops Suspend Mass?

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Due to the current crisis, many bishops throughout the world have suspended the public celebration of the sacraments. Indeed, every diocese in the United States canceled public celebrations of the…

Due to the current crisis, many bishops throughout the world have suspended the public celebration of the sacraments. Indeed, every diocese in the United States canceled public celebrations of the Mass during the current pandemic. This painful reality has led many of the faithful to question whether the diocesan bishop has the canonical power to limit access to the Mass.

The Church recognizes that rights and obligations are balanced realities. A right never stands on its own, but must serve both the individual and others in society. Canon 223 §1 reminds us that the faithful “must take into account the common good of the Church, the rights of others, and their own duties toward others” when exercising their rights.

Catholics certainly have the right to receive the sacraments when they “seek them at appropriate times, are properly disposed, and are not prohibited by law” (c. 843 §1). Yet, the law is also clear that ecclesiastical authority can “direct the exercise of rights” in light of the common good (c. 223 §2). The task of balancing these rights and duties typically falls to the diocesan bishop. The bishop, as the spiritual father of a diocese, answers primarily to God for the decisions he makes.

In view of this paternal role, Canon 381 §1 recognizes that the diocesan bishop, “must show himself concerned for all the Christian faithful entrusted to his care.” The canon also recognizes that the bishop, with few exceptions, has “all … power necessary for him to carry out his pastoral duty.” He is also the director of the “entire liturgical life” of the diocese (c. 835). Although certain aspects of the liturgy are reserved to higher authorities, appropriate regulation regarding public celebrations of the Mass falls into the bishop’s rightful authority.

Bishops in the United States have taken heed of warnings from public health experts and authorities that public gatherings present a serious risk of causing numerous deaths. In light of the information currently available, a bishop must balance the right to attend Mass against the natural “pro-life” obligation to prudently avoid causing otherwise preventable deaths. The bishops of the United States individually determined that the gravity of the crisis was sufficient to warrant the extraordinary step of temporarily suspending public celebrations of the Mass.

The temporary closure of churches by diocesan bishops is not an innovation, nor is finding creative ways to continue to offer the graces of the sacraments to the people of God. In the late 1570s Milan, Italy was struck by plague. The archbishop, St. Charles Borromeo, closed the city’s churches to prevent further spread. At the same time, he recognized the obligation to care for their spiritual good. Thus, he set up altars in intersections and city squares so that the people could participate in the Mass from the windows of their homes. Today, many bishops and priests are likewise finding novel ways — such as livestreaming the Mass — to make the Mass accessible, despite many being restricted to their homes.

Timothy Olson, J.C.L., is a canon lawyer from North Dakota serving on the Board of Governors for the Canon Law Society of America.

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