On November 26th, 2020, the Supreme Court of the US (SCOTUS) ruled on the illegality of the attendance limits Gov. Cuomo placed on the Churches of New York. Perhaps the presence of Amy Coney Barrett on the bench made a difference from the prior time the court reviewed. The Chief Justice then slipped from his prior majority opinion into a minority opinion, downplaying the significance of the decision to support the First Amendment. The story is here, short and clear: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/11/26/939264852/supreme-court-says-new-york-cant-limit-attendance-in-houses-of-worship-due-to-co
The message was clear. The decision is not a temporary ‘indulging’ of the churches, but rather is the key argument: “Even in a pandemic, the constitution cannot be put away and forgotten.” Exactly!
So here is the big question:
“Why, with such an empowering decision from SCOTUS, do the Catholic Churches seem to have taken no notice, implemented no changes and often not even shared such an important decision with members of many congregations?” Obviously there must be exceptions, but not so noticeably that Mass attendees’ behavior has changed. Most Catholic Churches still stick to the 30% number, when clearly it has no legal status. Pews are still marked off. The result data of Church-spread are not publicized; but hair salons were reopened based on the data that they were not causing ‘spread.’ So too were some gyms and restaurants and barber shops reopened.
Yet the Church seems reluctant to seize and reinforce her rights. Worship should be (and is) an “essential service.” It must be clarified and President Trump is doing it. The Church should be leading the way. Why has nothing seemed to happen to assert the Church’s First Amendment rights since the November 26th SCOTUS decision? It is almost as if the hierarchy is still bowing before the governor, instead of asserting her rights and the rights of her parishioners. Ditching Cuomo’s ‘one size fits all’ persecution of the Church should have been celebrated the very next day by stripping the tape and ropes away and considering what works best from the Church’s point of view, given size and need in each parish, and for the good of souls.
What kind of complicity is going on that such a momentous decision by SCOTUS should go unexercised by the very victims of the abuse? “Use it or lose it,” my brothers and sisters! For those whose churches did make immediate changes, in the sunshine of the Supreme Court decision, please put up a comment about what has happened there since Nov. 26th. Meanwhile, let’s pray for a little more courage among the clergy.
What happened at Christmas?
Some celebrants of Christmas Masses seem surprised that the attendance numbers were lower than prior years, sometimes significantly lower. Why should they be surprised? The Church, bowing to civil pressure, locked her members out for 75 days, starving us from Communion which God clearly instructed be given to us as our ‘daily bread.’ The message was loud and clear to Mass-goers: Mass is just not that important. The Church is now further perpetuating the image that attendance at Mass really doesn’t matter by keeping the barriers in place which were mandated by civil government.
It was the hierarchy who further bowed to the civil law and excused itself from feeding the flock, in spite of the SCOTUS decision, and who forced attendees to retain the 30% government criteria. The Church has further demonstrated the lack of importance of the Mass by not reinstating the requirement of Sunday Mass as a Law of the Church. Quite frankly, the ‘dispensation’ has reached a ridiculous level. There has always been a dispensation for the sick; no other exception needs to be made, even for the ‘fearful.’ Learn to “Be not afraid” because worse may come, and the lack of having been ‘fed’ through the Mass will weaken the Body of Christ. The tolerance of parishes and dioceses to excuse non-attendance is driven at least in part by seating limitations under government mandates, which no longer exist.
God gave us a beautiful gift for Advent; SCOTUS ruled on November 26th in favor of enforcing the First Amendment. It was up to the Church to enforce the Third Commandment, to keep holy the Lord’s Day. THREE DAYS LATER was the First Sunday of Advent. We should have seized the opportunity to begin a new Church year as fully free to worship. But, apparently, the gift was unnoticed, and still lies unopened under the Tree. How can we not read such a sign of the times?
On Christmas, as many of us arrived for Mass, there were often ushers or ‘guides’ or ‘counters’ at the doors to make sure those without tickets didn’t enter, or to count arrivals up to the Cuomo-limit and then turn away the excess. Aaah! the irony! What an excellent example of re-enacting “There is no room in the inn.”
Other Reading
Cuomo’s Partisan Authoritarianism Struck Down By SCOTUS – Frank Vernuccio (townhall.com)
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