And those that die won’t be around to tithe either. See: Golden Goose.
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Nothing. But it has everything to do with the minister getting paid.
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Sigh. If only this did not inevitably and ultimately fall on healthcare workers. They want to congregate, fine, then suffer the consequences without involving innocent people to care for you.
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Here’s the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s most recent statement on reopening, distributed yesterday. (The Archdiocese of Baltimore includes Baltimore and nine surrounding counties in Central Maryland)
In a nutshell - not every church is being willfully stupid:
We all long for a return to face-to-face fellowship, faith sharing and community.
To that end, we have begun the work of developing a plan for the careful and gradual reopening of our churches.
Over the last several weeks, I have been meeting via videoconferences with groups of priests and laity from across the Archdiocese of Baltimore. I have listened to their concerns and sought their input on the best ways of reopening our parishes.
I have also consulted with the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, the Presbyteral Council and parish catechetical leaders. In addition, I have received regular updates from civic leaders and public health officials and the Archdiocese has a representative on the Governor’s advisory group of faith leaders.
A subcommittee on the archdiocesan coronavirus taskforce is now in the final stages of developing plans for how we will reopen our parishes as soon as it is safe to do so. I can report to you now that the plan will place the safety of everyone in our community at the forefront of everything we do.
Our actions will be informed by Gov. Larry Hogan’s three-stage process for reopening the State of Maryland. We will also work in concert with other dioceses in our region to provide a coordinated and consistent approach.
In the Archdiocese of Baltimore, our first step will be to reopen churches for private prayer. The number of people gathering for private prayer, such as for eucharistic adoration, will be strictly limited at first and there will be social distancing requirements in place.
Also in the first stage of reopening, confessions, weddings, funerals and baptisms will resume – all with limits on the number of people present and with social distancing practices in place.
Public Masses will most likely resume in a second stage of reopening, again with social distancing practices in place and limits on attendance.
Even when public Masses begin again, not every parish will be able to make them available. Some of our larger parishes may find it difficult to limit attendance at Mass and may choose to delay offering public Masses. Know that pastors will work with regional vicars to collaborate with other nearby parishes to make Masses available regionally. Eventually, Masses will be made available without limitations on attendance.
Once Masses begin, the obligation to attend will initially remain suspended, understanding that people may not immediately feel comfortable gathering in large groups. Anyone who is ill or is vulnerable due to an existing health condition will be asked not to attend Masses. Anyone who has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days before coming to Mass.
Our public Masses will look different from our liturgies prior to the pandemic because of social distancing and the use of personal protective equipment. You will notice that the Sign of Peace might be omitted or limited and that we will not be offering the Precious Blood during the distribution of the Eucharist. Our priests and deacons might not be able to greet you before or after Mass and there may be some changes in how we line up to receive the Blessed Sacrament. There will also be mandatory spacing of families and individuals in pews and a requirement for the masking of faces.
Once plans are finalized, we will share detailed guidance for our parish leaders and our entire faith community. The details of those plans will be made public in the days ahead on the archdiocesan website.
While I believe the first phase of our plan will be able to be safely implemented relatively soon, I do not have an exact timeline for when this will take place. We will move forward when it is safe, relying on the informed guidance of health and state officials. I ask for your continued patience as we will navigate what will be a complex and challenging process for all of us.
…
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Go for it, churches. You are pretty experienced in holding funerals, so I am sure you will get increased business one way or another.
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Here’s what it sounds like inside a republican’s head, the closer to election time it gets!
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He’d have to stretch those ear lobes. A lot.
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Although I’m now an agnostic, I was indoctrinated into the anglo-Catholic version of Episcopalianism and for me, collection plates aside, if you’re not partaking in communion, what’s the point?
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The DOJ is officially changing its name to Deathcult Of Jesus. disBarr will make the announcement as soon as the new stationary arrives.
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Communion sounds like an ideal way to keep this plague going.
I’m not a believer in any of it, had to go to Sunday School growing up and there wasn’t one thing that kept me interested in pursuing any of it. And, that’s my polite version.
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OT - Can toads get the virus?
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Rand Paul did.
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Ha! First laugh I had all day.
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And Mitch is forcing the Senate to return. He’s so fucking hellbent on destroying the judiciary, he might just knock off one of his one members. A girl can dream …
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More like Chubby Cthulu…
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Score!!!
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Election year pandering to the base
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It use to be a time for reflection of ones self, your relationship with God and fellow man. Now though in many churches it has been a reflection of ones grievances with your fellow man, and a political rally.
It is a sad situtation.
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Good grief, a statement based on reason and respect for science from the Roman Catholic church! Good on them but sorry…I’m just not used to expecting anything like that from the church. In this, they seem like the embodiment of calm and collected thinking…at least when compared to some Christian fundamentalists.
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Whenever I see it, I’m reminded of the caption found here:
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