Risk viral coronavirus: it is right to close the churches? One thing is certain: it is not fair or that certain Christian faithful up attacking so mocking bishops and priests, standing up as supreme judges of their pastors in this moment of tragic emergency

- the Church and the serious emergency conoravirus -

RISK VIRAL CORONAVIRUS: It's OK CLOSE THE CHURCHES? ONE THING IS CERTAIN: NOT RIGHT OR THAT SOME CHRISTIAN FAITHFUL up attacking SO mocking BISHOPS AND PRIESTS, Standing at SUPREME JUDGES OF THEIR CHARACTERS IN THIS TRAGIC MOMENT OF EMERGENCY

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[…] let me quote mocking attitude of some Christians faithful to their bishops. At this time the Church does not need divisions, If it is serious, the situation we are experiencing is even more serious foment infighting. Dates provisions are certainly not perfect, indeed they would have needed more judiciousness, but this does not authorize anyone to break them and to stand as a judge of the bishops and their priests of us, who by grace or disgrace still represent the guides we recognized the People of God. As children free, we also express our pain and our disagreement without falling But in rebellion, What it would do more like ravenous wolves in sheep tame.

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Author
Ivano Liguori, Ofm. Capp.

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Drafting: funny but very effective spot Luca De Matteis who invite recalcitrant to remain isolated in homes for the safety of all

Devo riconoscere which at first glance, such a question is likely to leave much space emotionality. I confess that I too, I was led to more emotional than rational considerations, accusing the blow, if only for my dual role as a Christian and a priest, as well as an Italian citizen. The same applies to my confreres de The Island of Patmos, with whom we exchanged opinions and views, consultandoci each other and often looking for answers in each other. All we indeed felt touched in the deepest essence of the exercise of the sacred priesthood, in a situation that is unprecedented, in Church history, which also it has known moments of persecution or emergencies dates from various epidemics or pandemics.

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It comes so sudden and unexpected for the majority of the faithful, the news released by the Italian Bishops' Conference on 8 March, that demanded by Catholics compliance with the Decree of the Prime Minister's Office, which required - among other things - the suspension as a preventive measure, until the next 3 April, the entire national of all the civil and religious ceremonies territory, including those funeral. After this news, regional episcopal conferences have begun to issue decrees which essentially reiterated the orientation of the text C.E.I. with some minimal adjustment to the specific situations of the diocesan territory of belonging.

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by Luca De Matteis

We must say that the Decree the Presidency of the Council of Ministers does not speak explicitly of physical closure of places of worship, but public year suspension of civil and religious functions. So in fact the churches are open but without faithful, Masses are still celebrated by priests but behind closed doors and someone could still go to church to pray, respecting the rules of hygiene and prevention of infection, but without creating the typical gathering of a mass.

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A few days later, President Joseph Conte, declare a national emergency and extends the stringent measures of the regions most affected by the epidemic to the whole Italian territory. The result is that you can not leave the house except for urgent and proven business needs commissions, under penalty of fine or more severe sanctions.

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With the update of the provisions, the majority of the churches remains open but without the ability to see a faithful among its aisles. Yet, Last Thursday, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, vicar general of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome, established by decree a ban on access to parochial and non-parochial churches extended to all the faithful dell'Urbe. The next day De Donatis backtracks and issues a new decree that corrects the previous and stops the lockout: "They remain closed to public access" - reads the decree - "non-parish churches and more generally the places of worship of any kind, the parish churches remain open instead ».

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Others see as the cause of this abrupt reversal “U” the cardinal of the Holy Father's words, during the morning mass at the Martha's House Sacthae: 'Drastic measures are not always good ".

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great starter, great confusion, great fear ... but the faithful what they think, what do they do? The pleas of the battle rages communication, attach the bishops, the priests are accused of being fearful and novel Don Abbondio, the conflicting opinions expressed by some Catholic intellectuals are wasted on social and blogs, Then there are not a few comments that go beyond the bounds of decency, in short, a great mishmash that does not bring any benefit to the Church.

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by Luca De Mattei

I have taken my idea about it, of which I spoke at length with my brothers de The Island of Patmos and now I would share with you: first of all, I believe that in this matter the stakes are twofold. On the one hand the public health of citizens must be guaranteed by the state. Across the health of the soul that the Church has also a duty to safeguard respect for the divine mandate received from Christ, and that is the most valuable asset of every baptized. I say this because in such situations you need to be united despite the allocation of functions and separation areas of expertise. Otherwise we come to dislike interference and misunderstandings.

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It is clear that the state can not regulate in spiritual matters, since it enjoys no authority in the matter and no divine mandate. In contrast, the Church can not deal with issues that affect temporal situations, except in the case in which it can manifest, as a moral authority, his opinions about some serious matters and vital.

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The emergency situation that the epidemic has resulted, the need for the rapid adoption of useful decisions to stem the contagion, It has prevented a serious reflection and a healthy dialogue, as to protect the priorities of a secular state without damaging the spiritual goods of the Church.

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It does much to think that in a time like ours, attentive to the rights of all, guarantor of minorities, enemy of those who foment hatred, an emergency situation like send everything up, revealing the flaws of a state system unprepared and a Church whose concern is skewed more toward the body to the soul. Leveling everything, It appeared to be the best choice to solve the problem in a quick and almost painless.

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by Luca De Mattei

In this way, there is serious risk to throw out with the bathwater the baby, Whereas Italy, the number of Catholic Christians still represents the majority and, Although Christianity is no longer the state religion, come un tempo, it still holds an important civil weight. I personally think that the Holy Church, through her pastors would have to immediately start an open dialogue with the state that would be guaranteed to the faithful the right to exercise faith and to the priests the exercise of the ministry albeit with due caution before the ongoing situation.

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In a health emergency situation like this, faith is still a strong hope for so many people, an internal tool that allows active resources and the resilience that can go forward. Faith does not pertain only to the religious but binds to the virtue of hope, and the man without hope dies. That's why, a restrictive measure of this kind, despite the good intentions, is likely to bring along the side effects that we see with clarity only danger ceased, including in the near future the kind of precedent that was created.

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My thoughts go to the many elderly who are not accustomed to using new technologies and who can not follow the Mass live Facebook. For them the comfort not only passes through the Mass broadcast TV or radio, but above all through the visit of the priest and the reception of Holy Communion. This my thinking is reflected in the words of these days the Pope saying: "Pastors not only let the people of God, speechless, sacraments and prayer ". Good, but how can I priest hearing confession unless I approach, How can I administer the anointing oil if you do not touch with the sick and dying body. Difficult decisions that impose almost a choice between body and spirit? Days and days later, The Italian Episcopal Conference issued a document in which they enter into the merits of this speech giving directives [see document, WHO].

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by Luca De Mattei

The body is a gift from God and it is only right to treat him and protect it from danger and disease, but that our body is limited not immortal. When you can not do anything, you can still act on the soul, you can cure and save his soul from eternal death, and in so doing also recover the body in expectation of his glorious resurrection, as we recite in the Creed Sunday. Unfortunately, there have been cases where the sick faithful were unable to receive the Eucharist, penitents could not be reconciled and the priests impeded by various factors in accomplishing their ministry. I say this not for God or groped to convey a superstitious religious sentimentalism, I say this because my experience of many years as a chaplain in the hospital brought me to this conclusion, and health workers themselves have recognized the meritorious value of spiritual assistance during illness.

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When the emergency is over, we should all respond to our conscience in reference to some deficiencies that challenge the common good, which also passes through respect for the faith of my neighbor.

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To end, let me mention that attitude mocking of some Christian faithful to their bishops. At this time the Church does not need divisions, If it is serious, the situation we are experiencing is even more serious foment infighting. Dates provisions are certainly not perfect, indeed they would have needed more judiciousness, but this does not authorize anyone to break them and to stand as a judge of the bishops and their priests of us, who by grace or disgrace still represent the guides we recognized the People of God. As children free, we also express our pain and our disagreement without falling But in rebellion, What it would do more like ravenous wolves in sheep tame.

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Laconi, 20 March 2020

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To stay as close as possible to the faithful in this time of crisis and emergency, the editorial staff of The Island of Patmos informs readers that our author Father Ivano LIGUORI, Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, Care on Facebook the heading 'THE WORD NETWORK ", offering of three times a week meditations. You can access the edited page from our Father clicking on the logo below:

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8 replies
  1. Antonello
    Antonello says:

    My message was like “just you that…” And it wasn't full of work, nor anonymous, nor sent from an invented address, nor aggressive. Yet you have not published it!

    • father ariel
      Ariel S. Levi di Gualdo says:

      I answer her, because we haven't published it: because only inhumane beings like her, self-styled pseudo and unspecified “Catholics”, they may find nothing better to do than to argue about the Church and her pastors who are deeply suffering today, while our Italy has thousands of deaths.
      That's why we don't give space to people like her and inhumans like her.
      I've been clear?

      • Antonello
        Antonello says:

        Dear father Ariel,
        I have not argued at all about the Church to which I belong as a baptized person, nor against his shepherds, but against some of them, that is you. And then what does it mean that the shepherds are suffering, perhaps that the laity are not and have no right to be so in the same way? Also I have not argued, but only pointed out the incongruity of such a pontificate from a pulpit who has expressed himself with indecent words towards a bishop on past occasions. But on the other hand, that can be expected from a pastor who turns to myself by giving him something inhuman for free? Si rende conto di ció che dice? She insults because she has no arguments and claims falsehoods (that is, I invent the e-mail address) likewise because it has no arguments. His attitude and his language are worthy of an inhabitant of the Suburra, not of a minister of God. She uses her cassock as a weapon or shield, as needed, instead of the dress she wears. Be serious and post my message, this is what he censored.

        • father ariel
          Ariel S. Levi di Gualdo says:

          “You use your cassock as a weapon or a shield, as needed, instead of the dress she wears. Be serious and post my message, this and what he censored ".

          You are a shame of a Catholic, and that's.
          A layman cannot dare to address a presbyter in this way. If I were what she paints, the task of recovering and scolding me, if necessary, even to sanction me, it is up to my Bishop, certainly not to an emeritus peasant like her.
          Therefore it does not take the place of legitimate ecclesiastical authority, because she has neither the degree of sacramental order nor the power.
          And in case my Bishop should decide to scold me, he would call me privately, would never dare, not even him to whom I owe devout obedience and filial respect, throw a shovel of mud at me in the public square as she did, who nevertheless has the presumption of even considering himself an authentic Catholic.
          I was pedagogically and Christianly clear?

  2. Uneasy Words
    Uneasy Words says:

    Dear Father Ivano, I dwell on the Catenaccio, as well as the final paragraph of his article, to note the assumption in it, I hope involuntary, of a style today a lot “ecclesialese”: Some Christian faithful… Who ? Dove ? When ?
    Let's stop with these generic accusations, full of cryptic metaphors, of polyvalent adjectives, of allusions to plots and deviations, without ever clarifying the object or objective of the accusation from the highest pulpit and cascading from the support pulpits.
    Teasing attitude ... which means ? Who teased who, and in what way ? Maybe there really were, but without clarity everyone can think or be wrongly accused, or that others are rightly accused (from his point of view).
    Let me give an example limited here: also father Ariel, highly esteemed, in a recent article he made fun of “sgrana-rosari”. Because ? With what authority ? Maybe he knows how to recognize, at a distance , skin, Without doubts, a faithful who prays, how can and how he knows, and a superstitious man who poses ? He would call Padre Pio one “sgrana-rosari” ?
    Indicate the destination, help the intelligences, warm hearts, do not smother the wick with…

  3. Bruno
    Bruno says:

    Gent.mo Padre Ivano,
    in the newspaper of the Italian bishops of 15 c.m. The following article has been published:
    https://www.avvenire.it/opinioni/pagine/luigino-bruni-oikonomia-10
    In it we get to support: “[…] Christianity immediately interpreted the passion and death of Jesus as a sacrifice, like the "lamb of God" that he takes away with his death, definitely, sin from the world. […] The sacrifice of Jesus, del Figlio, it would have been the price paid to God the Father to pay off the enormous debt that humanity had contracted. Jesus the new high priest who offers not animals but himself as a sacrifice (Ebrei 7). This sacrificial theology crossed and marked the entire Middle Ages, reaffirmed by the Counter-Reformation, and still very much rooted in Christian practice today. […] Sacrifice is finally emerging from more recent theology (thanks to a more biblical understanding of the mystery of the Passion), but it is increasingly entering the new capitalist religion. ”
    Father Cavalcoli thus replied: https://padrecavalcoli.blogspot.com/p/unoffesa-al-sacrificio-di-cristo.html
    According to her, criticize the bishops for that’ item, it means “stand as judge of…

  4. Iginio
    Iginio says:

    D’accordo, but two points remain.
    1. Faith is not simply something “useful”, perhaps to the sick or the weak in general. Without God this world does not go on, simply. Even if the world believes that Christians are poor losers.
    And those who want to go to church are not “little ones” stop: they are people who love God. In defining them – as has been done – “little ones” it was implied that whoever does not claim is a “adult Catholic”. We gladly do without it. I “little ones” of Jesus are not opposed to nonexistent “grown ups”.
    2. Many priests take advantage of the ban on public masses to not celebrate mass at all, saying that without the people it has no value. This is a colossal heresy but very widespread thanks to today's theologas and seminaries. This point needs to be clarified seriously, authoritative and clear-cut.
    To forbid, then, as has been done, even the simple ostension of the Blessed Sacrament, with the excuse that otherwise people gather, frankly very perplexing: c’è qualcosa che non quadra.

  5. hbgj
    hbgj says:

    NOT RIGHT OR THAT SOME CHRISTIAN FAITHFUL up attacking SO mocking BISHOPS AND PRIESTS……
    you speak just that [CENSORED]

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    NOTICE HOW TO APPLY FOR OTHERS

    The Editor informs that do not publish any kind of gratuitous insults sent by aggressive people full of hatred hidden behind the anonymity that make e-mail address specifically for this purpose, especially at this time when it would be good to pray and to offer penance to God.

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