Living Tabernacle

Archbishop Michael Byrnes said that Mass will be held inside churches on the weekend of Pentecost.  Many people are happy about this while a few are still very cautious about opening up the church. 

As I have often said, Christianity is about Christ.  It is not about the buildings.  If there is anything to be learned about this pandemic, it is that a church building can be taken away from us.  But Christ cannot be taken away from us.  It would be prudent to prepare for the taking away of the church buildings.  Why?  Because the Archdiocese is currently facing lawsuits after lawsuits for allegations of child sexual abuse.  In the future, some of those church buildings may be sold.  So, if there is anything this pandemic has taught, it is not to turn sacred objects into idols.  Those sacred objects are to be respected, but God alone is to be adored and worshiped.   

The tabernacle in our church building is sacred, but Catholics do not worship the tabernacle.  It is what is inside the tabernacle that we worship.  In the Old Testament, the Israelites also did not worship the tabernacle.  They understood that it was the dwelling place of God and therefore sacred and worthy of respect and honor.  The Israelites worshiped what the tabernacle contained - God Himself.  

In the New Testament, the New Ark of the Covenant is not made of finest gold as the old one was.  The New Ark of the Covenant was Mary (see my article here).  Catholics do not worship Mary, the New Ark of the Covenant.  We worship God and God alone.  During the pandemic, it was not the church building that Catholics miss because the Protestants were correct when they say that we can worship God anywhere.  So long as there are two or three gathered in my name, so there I am also in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20).  When Mass was offered in the parking lot, people rejoiced because they received Holy Communion.  We attend Church to receive His Body and Blood so that we be one with Christ.  It was never about the building.  It was about the Eucharist, the receiving of the Body and Blood of our Lord.  Even Archbishop Michael understood this clearly.  According to the Pacific Daily News:

In a pastoral letter to Catholics, Brynes wrote that the decision wasn't taken lightly as the Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of the Catholic faith. 

The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Catholic faith, not the church building.   

In the Old Testament, the Jewish Temple was the cornerstone, both literally and figuratively, of Jewish worship.  In the New Testament, the Christian body is the temple where the Holy Spirit dwells and Christ is the chief cornerstone (Acts 4:10-12). In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was made of finest materials and pure gold.  In the New Testament, the new Ark of the Covenant was Mary.  A created being became a living tabernacle of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Mary was the fulfillment of the Ark who took the joy, power, and presence of Jesus wherever she went.

When we receive the Body of Christ in Holy Communion, we also become living tabernacles like Mary.  As living tabernacles, we are to take Jesus into the world, allowing His presence in us to shine before others so that they too will believe and worship the one true God.  It is for this purpose that Christ built His Church, which is not a building made of stone.  Jesus told us to worship Him in "Spirit and in truth".  What does that mean?  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 

CCC 1179  The worship "in Spirit and in truth" of the New Covenant is not tied exclusively to any one place.  The whole earth is sacred and entrusted to the children of men.  What matters above all is that, when the faithful assemble in the same place, they are the "living stones" gathered to be "built into a spiritual house."  For the Body of the risen Christ is the spiritual temple from which the source of living water springs forth: incorporated into Christ by the Holy Spirit, "we are the temple of the living God." 

Vocations: A Fruit of the NCW

The NCW is known for its many fruits.  One of those fruits are priestly vocations.  You can find the following article here.

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When John Paul II greeted this young boy, it changed his life forever

He’s one of the JPII vocations, having been marked by God through the influence of the Polish pope.

Father Francesco Chiarini, 39, a priest of the Neocatechumenal Way in the Diocese of Fermo, Italy, believes his vocation is related to an unexpected encounter he had as an 8-year-old boy. John Paul II visited Chiarini’s hometown on December 30, 1988. Pope John Paul II, then 67 years old, descended from the sky—literally: He got down from a helicopter, wearing a red cape. A joyful crowd celebrated his apostolic visit. Kiko Argüello, then 48 years old, one of the founders of the Neocatechumenal Way, accompanied the Pontiff to the entrance of the International Center for Evangelization of Porto San Giorgio, located in the central Italian region of Marche.

Among the crowd, an Italian boy holding a small Vatican flag ran with his brother to see the Successor of Peter. They were stopped by a metal barrier. It seemed it would be impossible to see the pope close up, but the future saint took special notice of the elder of the brothers; he stopped in front of the clear-eyed, smiling little boy, who was almost hanging off that barrier.

“We got past the barrier,” Chiarini tells Aleteia. “The pope came to me—I don’t know why he didn’t do the same with my brother, who was next to me—and he caressed my cheek, almost like a friendly and soft pat. I still remember his fragrance.”

Chiarini is now a young priest, ordained in 2010 on the second Sunday of Easter, the feast of Divine Mercy, a celebration proclaimed 10 years earlier by John Paul II.

That encounter was a special moment. The little boy felt something indescribable in his heart, he says. “A few days later, my parish priest, Fr. Enrico, whom you see in the photo, asked all the children taking First Communion preparation course what we wanted to be when we grew up. Without hesitation, I answered: ‘a priest!’”

The encounter took place on the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1988 when John Paul II celebrated Mass and sent out the first families of that International Center as missionaries. They later went to the humblest peripheries of Asia and Africa, forming small evangelization teams accompanied by a priest.

WYD vocations

Chiarini was 17 years old when, in August 1997, he participated with a group of young people from the Neocatechumenal Way in the 12th International World Youth Day (WYD) in Paris. The young man again considered being a priest when he heard John Paul II’s words: “Follow Jesus! Do not be afraid of the ‘new life’ that He offers you.” 

“John Paul II loved Jesus Christ deeply, and he was a witness to prayer. This gave him immense freedom in everything: to say things to young people and to be a young man with young people,” says Chiarini.

Today, the Italian priest holds a doctorate in Biblical Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and has been a professor at the Theological Institute of Marche in Fermo, Italy, since 2009.

Love, suffering and the Cross

In fact, the pontificate of John Paul II had an impact on the lives of millions of young people. On Palm Sunday, 1986, the first WYD took place in Rome. It contributed to Karol Wojtyła receiving the nickname of “the Pope of youth,” and “the Pope of vocations”—both vocations of families and of consecrated men and women.

Chiarini sees another revealing sign of his vocation in the fact that he wrote his thesis for his bachelor’s degree in theology on the writings of a 16th-century Spanish friar, St. John of the Cross, considered the summit of Christian experimental mysticism. The saint’s writings (primarily poetry) inspired Chiarini to study the grace of the gratuitousness of Christ’s love. 

In fact, unknown to Chiarini at the time, John Paul II had obtained his doctorate in theology (1948) with a thesis on the theme of faith in the works of none other than St. John of the Cross. Moreover, years earlier, after the sorrowful death of his father, John Paul II had found that reading the holy poet gave him comfort, at the same time as his awareness of his vocation grew in admiration of the sacrifice of Catholic priests in Nazi concentration camps.

Fr. Chiarini considers the intimacy of his prayer life to be another spiritual link with Wojtyła, who placed every decision in God’s hands. His bond with John Paul II is also a link with his own father, who died some time ago and who was very devoted to the Polish saint. Chiarini’s father prayed to St. John Paul II, asking that through his intercession the Lord would protect his family, help the young people he catechized, and grant him health. The message of Pope Wojtyła strengthened the unity of Chiarini’s family.  

John Paul II: An inspiration

“God helps me live the call. The more I go on as a priest, the more I feel an emptying (kenosis) of myself, and the more I trust fully in his love, thus increasing my capacity to serve and be with young people. John Paul II loved Christ, so the crowds followed him. I feel a ‘gratuitous love’ that ‘I do not deserve,’ but every day, God comes looking for me, even though I am nothing but a poor priest. While I am free, I feel chosen and consoled by Christ.”

Fr. Chiarini says that he’s received a hundred times more than he has given. As an example of how God’s grace works through him, he tells us about his participation in an international amateur football championship he played in while studying at a seminary in Taiwan. In the final qualifying match, he scored the winning goal, and immediately his opponent’s goalkeeper, in a fit of blind rage due to the defeat, struck and broke Chiarini’s leg (tibia and fibula).

Before leaving the field, although he was in pain, Chiarini felt the need to make a gesture which he says came not from him, but from God. Before getting on the stretcher and being taken to hospital where he would later undergo reconstructive surgery, he took the hand of the young Canadian who had injured him, looked him in the eyes, and said, “I forgive you!” 

“The young man was an atheist,” Chiarini says, “but he came to visit me in the hospital. Although he didn’t know where to find me, he did everything possible to talk to me before the operation. Perhaps the Lord put forgiveness in my mouth to save this young man.”

Congratulations Cesar Izaguirre

Many of us have come to know Cesar Izaguirre.  He was one of Guam's RMS seminarian.  He will be ordained into the priesthood on June 20th.  There were also other Guam RMS seminarians who are supposed to be ordained into the priesthood in May, but their ordination was moved to a later date due to the pandemic.  I will have more information about them soon.  Below is an article on Cesar, which is found here.

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Long road, long time leading to priesthood, finally

Cesar J. Izaguirre, 35, who is scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood for Philadelphia by Archbishop Nelson Perez on June 20, has had a long journey both in distance and time.

He was born into a devout Catholic family in Managua, Nicaragua, the youngest of the seven children of Bernardo Izaguirre and Maria Estabana Gonzalez.

From an early age he was exposed to the Neocatechumenal Way, a highly structured movement in the church that stresses community and evangelization through lay and clerical ministry. Most of his family were members and he joined at age 12.

Meanwhile secular pursuits were also stressed in the family. “I always did what my parents used to tell me: study and do a good job in school so that you can be a good and happy man like your siblings,” he said.

All of them had finished their education and become professionals — a lawyer, a doctor, a mechanical engineer, an industrial engineer and so forth. Cesar set out to be a systems engineer but because he also felt a pull to a religious vocation through the Neocatechumenal Way, he entered a minor seminary program in Managua.

In 2006, he was sent by his Neocatechumenal Way superiors to Guam, an island in the Western Pacific Ocean that was acquired by the United States from Spain after the Spanish American War. It remains as a U.S. territory and an important naval station. Although relatively small with a population of about 165,000, it is three-quarters Catholic and does have its own archdiocese, the Archdiocese of Agana and a seminary.

Although Cesar did not choose the assignment, he was content with it. “When you join the Neocatechumenal Way you agree to go wherever you are sent,” he said.

While continuing in missionary work, through the seminary he completed his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in theology, but had not received major orders.

Two years ago he was transferred to the Philadelphia Archdiocese to complete his formation at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, with residence at the House of Studies conducted by the Neocatechumenal Way at the former St. Louis Parish in Yeadon.

Last year he was ordained as a transitional deacon by Archbishop Charles Chaput, and has been assigned for ministry at Our Mother of Divine Providence Parish in King of Prussia.

“I like parish life,” he said. “It makes you realize you are living for God, not for yourself.”

Prayers that have sustained him include the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet and just sitting with the Divine Office and the scriptures.

Through his travels, especially those years in Guam, he became a fairly good cook — fusion, naturally, and a self-taught mechanic.

Although happy in his vocation he admits there were times in the past when he wondered, had he made the right choice?

But he knows “God makes the choice and God does not make mistakes.”

Father Izaguirre is scheduled to celebrate his first Mass June 21 at Mother of Divine Providence Church with Father Martin Cioppi, the pastor, as the homilist.

NCW Official Website

The official website of the Neocatechumenal Way is placed at the top page of my blog beside the Blog song.  The website can be read in different languages, and it offers a wealth of information on the NCW's history, evangelization, and other news.  

R.I.P. Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay

Father Jorge Oriz-Garay was finally laid to rest in Mexico.  His family had a difficult time trying to get his body back to Mexico after he passed away from COVID-19.  He was described as a "great guy with a big heart" by Father Pius.  The following article can be found here.

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Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay Laid to Rest in Mexico

Forty-one days after his death, due to complications from COVID-19, the body of Father Jorge arrived in Mexico. 

It was the end of a long journey, from Brooklyn back to his family, that required the concerted efforts of many — church officials, civil authorities both in Brooklyn and Mexico City, and Delta Airlines. 

DeSales Media, parent company of The Tablet, led the transportation effort to return his body amid the public health regulations of the current pandemic. 

The body of Father Jorge departed from New York to Atlanta Sunday, May 3, on its way to Mexico City. After a three-day layover, including one canceled flight, the casket arrived on Wednesday, May 6. 

On Thursday, the family was allowed a brief visitation, while a deacon offered the prayers of committal.

The burial took place at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, in the presence of his parents, Jorge Ortiz and Estela Garay, as well as other members of his immediate family. Father Daniel Castro conducted the final prayers for the eternal rest of Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay.

Irais Ortiz-Garay, the youngest of Father Jorge Ortiz-Garay’s four siblings, expressed the relief her family feels now that they have finally been able to bury her brother in Mexico City.

“We are grateful to all the people who worked so hard during the last weeks to bring my brother’s body to our family,” she told The Tablet. 

Fr. Jorge, 49, was the pastor of St. Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, when he died on Friday, March 27, 2020. He had been serving in the Diocese since 2009, first at St. Joseph’s in Prospect Heights, then at St. Brigid’s. 

Father Jorge was ordained to the Priesthood at the Archdiocese of Newark as a member of the Neocatechumenal Way on May 29, 2004.

Some Priests Are Fighting Back

In an editorial of the Guam Daily Post dated May 6, 2020 and entitled The Church Sexual Abuse Scandal: What Have We Learned?, Father Fran Hezel wrote (the bold is mine):

Because of the statute of limitations, no criminal charges were filed. Instead, civil suits were introduced against the institution responsible for the individuals who were at fault: The archdiocese, the religious community, and even the Boy Scouts. It would have been pointless to try to exact punishment on the guilty individual – most were dead or had long left the island. 

One of the things learned from the sexual abuse scandal is that the Church now holds the position that ALL allegations are true and that ALL accused priests including dead priests are guilty.  Nevermind the fact that there never was a trial for many of the priests and that dead priests are unable to defend themselves.  This is no different than the MeToo Crowd who proclaimed that ALL women should be believed.  Nevermind the fact that one of the accusers of Brett Kavanaugh admitted to fabricating a rape accusation as a tactic to derail his nomination to the Supreme Court (see the story here).  How can deceased priests be guilty when they never went through trial?  Deceased priests such as Father George Maddock held impeccable records and accolades among his students.  Allegations of sex abuse against him were brought forth only a few days after his death.    

At one time, the Church was at one extreme end of the spectrum where all bishops were believed.  Today, we know that the Church was wrong in silencing the victims of abuse as they believe all bishops.  Today, the Church still has not learned its past lessons.  This time, it went the opposite extreme believing all allegations without any due process.  

Diocese across the United States are publishing the names of priests as "credibly accused of child sexual abuse" publicly.  The list includes the names of priests who have long been deceased.  However, priests and former priests whose names have been published on the list are currently fighting back, suing the Diocese and Bishops.  

Three priests have filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Corpus Christi and its bishop, Bishop Michael Mulvey, claiming that they were wrongfully included in a  list of clerics credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor (see story here).

A former priest is also suing the Archdiocese of St. Louis whose name was included on a published list of clergy members "credibly accused" of child sexual abuse.  According to news report (the bold is mine):

A former priest has sued the Archdiocese of St. Louis, alleging it libeled and slandered him by including him on a list of clerics credibly accused of abusing children.

Michael Toohey, 77, of Creve Coeur, claims in the lawsuit filed last month in St. Louis County Circuit Court that the archdiocese intentionally damaged his reputation, refused to provide more details of any allegation against him and denied his challenge of the claim, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

At issue is a list the archdiocese released this summer that included the names of 63 men with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. Twenty-six of those men, including Toohey, had never been named publicly as facing such allegations.

In an interview with the Post-Dispatch in September, Toohey denied sexually abusing anyone and said the archdiocese never told him he had been accused of sex abuse of a minor until the list was released. He said he and an attorney met with the archdiocese after the list was released but that church officials refused to discuss information about his case.  

Is it not interesting that the Archdiocese of St. Louis never told the former priest that an accuser had come forward, accusing him of child sexual abuse?  Even more interesting is that the Archdiocese put his name on the list without questioning him about the allegation.

Across some states, Americans are protesting their state government's Stay-at-Home policy amid the corona virus pandemic.  They cite the right to work, the right to assemble, the right to protest, and the right to movement.  Even the Churches in New Jersey and California are suing the state governments, citing freedom of religion. However, it is unfortunate that the Church has forgotten that individuals also have the right of due process even as they pursue their lawsuit for religious liberties against the state government.

There are also some priests turning to the civil courts and bringing lawsuits against their accusers, claiming defamation.  Victim Advocates, on the other hand, said that priests should work within the church system to defend themselves.  Nevermind the fact that the Church and its bishops have mainly taken the stand that ALL allegations are true and do not consider the due process of its priests (see the story here).   

Church and State

The Church, which was founded by Christ, does not answer to the State.  She obeys only God.  However, in the spirit of good will and cooperation, Father Paul wrote to the Department of Public Health, requesting to re-open the parishes and outlined a list of safety recommendations to keep the parishioners safe.  DPHSS Director Linda Unpingco-DeNorcey gave a resounding "No" to Father Paul's recommendations without much explanation.  Nevertheless, she must have had a change of heart.  Whatever the case may be, it turned out to be a good thing. Today, Archbishop Michael announced that parishes can hold Masses in the parking lot with people in their vehicles. The Church is essential, and we are slowly moving forward.  According to Pacific News Center:

Archbishop Michael Byrnes announced during this morning’s reconsecration Mass that the Archdiocese of Agana will start holding Mass in the parking lot beginning next weekend.

Byrnes said priests are working diligently to proceed with a live Mass in parish parking lots, including the distribution of Holy Communion.

“We have a set of protocols that we think satisfies the appropriate social distancing. All our protocols are in line with what is prudent in this time of COVID-19. The faithful can receive Holy Communion from their cars,” the archbishop said.

He added: “This is another ray of light for us here on this island. And we’re doing this in cooperation with the Department of Public Health. I just want to acknowledge that as a church, we have a strong desire to be partners with our government, recognizing that we have an extraordinary responsibility to see that our efforts in the church don’t become an instance of widening the scope of infection here on the island. So again, it’s good news. And I ask us all to be very cooperative to the kinds of protocols we will need to take in order to celebrate the Mass.”

NCW Easter Vigil in Australia During Pandemic

We are hoping to return celebrating the Word and Mass physically as a community.  Naturally, some precautions need to be taken with the elderly and those with underlying health problems as we gradually recover.  There had been some positive news in Guam in that many are recovering from the virus.  It is also hopeful to find that there were about 26 patients over the age of 60 who have recovered from the virus.  Even the 90 year old patient recovered.  

Like the rest of the world experiencing the pandemic, Australia was also hit with the corona virus.  But they have found a very beautiful way to celebrate the Easter Vigil.  Because they were in lockdown, the Easter Vigil was celebrated in the homes with families rather than in large groups that we normally have.  In fact, even here in Guam, our Word celebration continues within our families or through Zoom or video conferencing.  It is important that Catholics continue to listen to the Word of God.  Listening to His word sustains us and is also nourishment to our souls.  In Guam and across America, the buildings may be empty, but the Church continues to celebrate liturgies in the homes.  You can find the following article here (the bold is mine).
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FOR Catholics, Easter is a time of hope and devotion through the Paschal Liturgies.

And for communities of the Neocatechumenal Way, accustomed to large Easter vigil gatherings, the limitations of social distancing, proved a challenging prospect.

The Neocatechumenal Way has about 70 communities in 13 dioceses across Australia.

So instead of meeting as communities, Neocatechumenal families were invited to follow the Easter Vigil liturgy in their homes.

“This historic reality (of COVID-19 virus) was like the night of the Passover in Egypt … like the people in their own homes, waiting for the Passing of the Lord,” Vanda, a Sydney mother, said.

Kerry, celebrating Easter with her family said: “We started with the Lucernarium (lighting candles), and we had a fire to light our candles”.

“From there we moved inside where we began with the Exultet (Easter Proclamation),” she said.

“Then we began the Liturgy of the Word. We had asked seven of the children to prepare a reading each, and the 3 older girls proclaimed them.

“We had a song after each reading.

“All had a large candle to be lit, from which each lit their own candle – in many cases that from their own baptism.”

The natural crescendo in the Liturgy of the Word leads up to the Paschal Alleluia and the proclamation of the Gospel.

“Six of our ten children joined us in a beautiful and rich night of the word, where the kids fully participated,” Wollongong couple Arpad and Naomi said.

Parents helped their children through the readings, with different family members introducing each reading.

There were also moments to share with one another what the Lord was saying to them.

The Litany of the Saints was sung, before lighting their candles and renewing their baptismal promises – recalling previous Easters when each child was baptised by immersion.

To remember the Easter vigil, with its readings and baptisms is to be full of gratitude to the Lord who still has the power to lead us from Egypt to the Promised Land.

The limitations of 2020 caused by Covid-19 did not fundamentally alter the power of this night.

“We will remember this Easter fondly. Christ is truly risen for us! Alleluia!” Naomi said.

Those of the Neocatechumenal communities who were alone or in small households also celebrated as they could: many used Zoom to join a presbyter celebrating the Vigil.

Technology comes to our aid in difficult times enabling us to see and hear one another and even to sing together, in order to participate in a living liturgy which gives life.

In its own way the situation in 2020 has been a gift to the Christian family and enabled us to do something new – where the devil perhaps thought he had won a significant victory because the church buildings were empty, he had to acknowledge that multiple and powerful liturgies were being celebrated in domestic churches, the homes of families across Australia.

The good news was announced: Christ is risen. Alleluia.

Petition To Ban Planned Parenthood in Michigan

Gretchen Whitmer, the Governor of Michigan had stopped all elective surgeries in Michigan so that health officials can assist in battling the corona virus pandemic.  However, she has allowed abortion to continue, stating that it is "life-sustaining."  Several states in the Union, however, have moved to temporarily block abortion services deeming it as non-essential.  You can read the story here.  

There is a petition circulating through social media from Michigan, banning Planned Parenthood.  Our Archbishop Michael Byrnes is from Detroit, Michigan.  Let us help our brothers and sisters in the United States in shutting down Planned Parenthood and abortion by signing the petition below:  


Petition 

The Church is Essential

I was reading an article in the Guam Daily Post written by Helen Middlebrooke.  She stated that freedom of religion is a fundamental right needed at this time during the pandemic.  She is correct to some degree.  Freedom of religion is a fundamental right, but there is a difference between the right to believe and the right to practice those beliefs. The right to practice those beliefs can be limited by the government especially if it endangers the life, safety, and health of the people.  On the other hand, she is correct when she stated that the Church is essential.  And when I say "church," it is in reference to the people, not the church building.  The people is the church, and we are essential.  

The Church advocates the right to life to every unborn child, which is the reason we oppose abortion.  This right to life also extends to the church (the people).  It extends to her members.  And this Christian belief is put to practice when Archbishop Michael Byrnes closed down the parishes. It is for the life and safety of the Church.  Stay home and practice social distancing.  Observe good hygiene by washing your hands frequently.  Wear a mask and gloves when you go out for essential business.  The secular government is incorrect in stating that the Church is NOT essential.  Man is composed of both body and spirit.  When our bodies are injured, the hospital is the proper place to heal our bodies.  But our spirits can also be broken, and Christ is the only physician who can heal broken spirits.  Therefore, despite that we cannot physically be present, the Mass is televised or streamlived on the Internet so that the faithful can listen to the Word of God.  I agree that this is not good enough, but it is only temporary until the pandemic is over.  

It is the secular world that teaches that the Church is not essential.  As Christians, do not forget that what the secular world teaches is not always in conformity with Christian teaching.  The Church is essential.  God is essential in our lives everyday especially during this pandemic.  

The following article is on Bishop Peter Baldacchino, the Bishop of Las Cruces, New Mexico.  If you recall, Bishop Peter was appointed to head the Diocese of Las Cruces in New Mexico, making him the first Diocesan Bishop associated with the Neocatechumenal Way.  You can find the following article here.
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Washington D.C., Apr 15, 2020 / 04:45 pm (CNA).- The Bishop of Las Cruces, New Mexico, has lifted a diocesan ban on the public celebration of Mass, issued guidelines for distribution of Holy Communion, and told priests they may resume sacramental ministry if they follow state-ordered health precautions.

“We [as priests] have been called by Christ and ordained to serve the people of the Diocese of Las Cruces, to bring them hope and consolation during this difficult time,” Bishop Peter Baldacchino wrote in a letter dated April 15 and obtained by CNA.

The announcement came days after New Mexico's governor banned gatherings of more than 5 people, a restriction Baldacchino said priests must observe, even as the bishop expressed his objection to it.

Baldacchino is the first U.S. bishop known to have amended a previously declared diocesan ban on public Masses since the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the U.S. last month.

The bishop also made provision for priests to resume weddings and funerals in accordance with state regulations on social distancing, and granted permission for them to be held outside on Church property for the duration of the pandemic.

Christopher Velasquez, communications director of the diocese, confirmed the letter to CNA on Wednesday evening.

Velasquez stressed the "essential ministry of hope" the Church is called to undertake during the pandemic. He added that the diocese urges all Catholics in at-risk demographics to exercise prudence, remain at home and watch the Mass on livestream whenever possible

In his letter, Baldacchino said that “At the outset of the pandemic, I ordered the priests of the Diocese of Las Cruces to suspend all public Masses as we assessed the situation and established a safe way to continue to bring Christ to the people, both through the Word of God and the Sacraments."

"These past few weeks have allowed me to further analyze the situation and discern a safe way to proceed,” the bishop wrote.

“It has become increasingly clear that the state shutdown will last for some time. Depriving the faithful of the nourishment offered through the Eucharist was indeed a difficult decision, one that I deemed necessary until I had further clarity regarding our current state of affairs, but it cannot become the status quo for the foreseeable future.”

Dioceses across the United States have suspended the public celebration of Mass, and many have restricted priests’ ability to hear confessions and anoint the sick. While priests in some dioceses have tried to find ways to provide sacramental ministry, including drive-in Masses and Eucharistic adoration, some bishops have banned these practices.

Baldacchino said in his letter that the public danger posed by the coronavirus had to inspire renewed reflection by the Church, and demanded a response from ministers. He also said that his action was in part inspired by the deaths of two priests, close friends and seminary classmates, who contracted the virus.

“We are all aware of the tragedy caused by the Coronavirus, I myself have lost two close friends of mine, priests I studied and served with. I am fully conscious of the death and sadness these days seem to bring. And yet there is more. The Coronavirus can also be a help to us. How long have we settled down in our ‘usual way’ of doing things? For how long have we grown comfortable with our routines? For how long have we taken the grace of the sacraments for granted? Or the beauty of the assembly at Mass?”

Baldacchino said the crisis created by the pandemic had brought about “a time for renewal.”

“In the events of these days and weeks the Lord is calling us out of our comfort zone, he is calling us to seek new ways to reach the people. In addition to this mission with which we are entrusted, we also have the mission to keep people safe. The two must be equally pursued,” he said.

“While it is true that we need to take every reasonable precaution to reduce the spread of Coronavirus, it is equally true that we offer the greatest ‘essential service’ to our people. The past few weeks have brought to light many unintended consequences of the ‘stay-at-home’ order.”

The bishop pointed to reports that the Disaster Distress Helpline, a federal crisis hotline run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, has seen an 891% increase of calls during the pandemic, with large spikes also being recorded at suicide prevention hotlines. He also noted reports of increases in domestic violence in places under lockdown.

“Simply put, in the midst of financial uncertainty, fear for one’s health, pandemic induced anxiety and confinement to their homes, people definitely need a word of hope,” he said.

“We, as priests, are called to bring the Word of Life to people, we are called to minister the life-giving sacraments. Televised Masses have been an attempt to bridge the gap during this time, but I am increasingly convinced that this is not enough,” Baldacchino said.

“The eternal life offered in Christ Jesus needs to be announced. It was precisely the urgency of this announcement that drove the first apostles and the need is no less today. Christ is alive and we are his ambassadors.”

Revoking the suspension of public Masses, in place in the diocese since March 16, the bishop said that priests are now allowed to celebrate Masses in the presence of the faithful “while maintaining all current health precautions set forth by the state and federal government.”

Baldacchino’s letter noted that the state of New Mexico recently updated its Public Health Order, which no longer includes churches as “essential services.”

“I strongly disagree,” he said. “Sadly, the Governor is no longer exempting places of worship from the restrictions on ‘mass gatherings.’ It seems to me that while we run a daily count of the physical deaths we are overlooking those who are dead interiorly.”

To comply with the governor’s directive, guidelines issued to all priests limit attendance at Mass in church buildings to 5 people, including the celebrant, and insist that a minimum safe distance of six feet be observed and all seating sanitized after Mass ends.

Baldacchino also authorized priests to celebrate Mass outdoors, in compliance with state guidance on social distancing, and specifically recommended setting up an altar in the parish parking lot with parishioners remaining in their cars with an empty space between each vehicle.

“Parishes that lack sufficient parking spaces may celebrate the liturgies in open cemeteries or other available open spaces. Parishioners should maintain at least a six feet separation at all times,” the guidance states.

Over the Easter Triduum, the bishop had a stage erected outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and celebrated the liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil for local Catholics who remained in their cars.

Bishop Peter Baldacchino celebrates Mass on Holy Thursday. Credit: David McNamara/Diocese of Las Cruces