We have received official communication that from Thursday churches will be closed again. A heartbreaking decision, just when we need the consolation of gathering together as God's people to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass most.
It is a sad reflection on our times that special allowance is made for food poverty, for educational poverty but spiritual poverty is not given any recognition at all. Surely it is this greater poverty that needs to be tackled more than any other, as it underlies the very principles of fighting all other forms of poverty. The whole building will fall without this foundation.
I see that Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark feels the same.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/382715068876250/permalink/984370278710723/
Mass today for the glorious fest of All the Saints
will be celebrated as announced at 8.30am and 10am.
Mass for All Souls will also continue at 7pm on Monday.
Mass on Tuesday at 12nnoon and on Wednesday at 9.30am will also be offered.
After that the public celebration of Mass is once again suspended.
This latest news is heartbreaking. We have just written to our MP, Damien Moore, to express our concern that Mass should be cancelled - indeed, for any worship service to be cancelled as long as the buildings where they are held are compliant with cleaning and distancing requirements. It is a grossly unfair infringement of our liberty. Please, anyone reading this, do make your feelings known to your own MP, because it might make a difference. How can garden centres be allowed to open when churches are not? Being deprived of Mass causes spiritual distress, and as Father Simon puts it so well, spiritual poverty. We may be able to stop it from happening if we act promptly.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that the Bishops objected this time and challenged the government. It wasn't likely the government would change it's mind immediately but the fact of resistance will hopefully make them pause if there are to be any future lockdowns
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