Yes, apart from social distancing, confessions are allowed in the Syracuse Diocese. Geralyn and I went today, and Adoration was taking place throughout by our pastor! Deo gratias!
I pray this shutdown / virus calls out our hierarchy to call for a fast and mortification for the sins of Christian countries legalization of Homosexuality and the killing of the innocence via Abortion. Two abominations that God has chastised past generations for in the bible, yet nothing is being said by our Pope and Bishops on this. Don't they read the bible and don't they know biblical history is repeating itself in our generation? Does sackcloth and ashes not ring a bell to them? No it doesn't! Instead they close Mass for the faithful..... the greatest act of reparation on earth!
I often think " don't our clergy read the Bible" .... And our pope? I pray daily for the conversion of clergy and for their protection. I will now say another rosary specifically for reparation for the sins of homosexuality and abortion, everyday.
Thank you everyone for your prayers. He is off the ventilator and doing much better. Not completely out of the woods yet but so much better. Thank you all!
This is wonderful news. Looking forward to his complete recovery. Thanks for the update. Will still pray.
Well I see our local Churches may be opening again! Thank you Jesus!! https://www.irishnews.com/coronavir...ff-licence-says-bishop-donal-mckeown-1885607/ Access to church 'at least as important as access to an off-licence' says Bishop Donal McKeown Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown tells William Scholes why he is fighting for churches to be able to open for prayer amid the Covid-19 crisis and why church funerals are so important CHURCHES should be allowed to reopen for private prayer as places of solace during the coronavirus pandemic, Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown has said, arguing such provision would be "at least as important as access to an off-licence". The bishop also said it was important that clergy continued to offer bereaved families the opportunity of a church funeral. Dr McKeown was speaking as Ireland's Churches continue to navigate how best to serve their people amid Covid-19 and official restrictions on public gatherings. Weekend public worship has been suspended across Ireland and although governments on both sides of the border initially allowed church buildings to remain open for private prayer, that too has now been halted. Dr McKeown said that churches with open doors were especially important "for people who are distressed", particularly where "they might go to the off-licence instead if they can't get to the church". Coronavirus: Digital technology 'God-given' Standalone off-licences in Northern Ireland were forced to close last week when the government tightened restrictions on what shops could remain open during the coronavirus outbreak. However, they were able to reopen their doors after lobbying led to them being added to the Stormont Executive's list of 'essential businesses'. "Access to well spaced-out private devotion time in a church, particularly in the Catholic tradition, is at least as important as access to an off-licence," said Dr McKeown. "We are trying to communicate that to the authorities. I would fight for it, because people miss being able to drop in for private prayer." Dr McKeown explained how, before the ban, St Eugene's Cathedral in Derry had been arranged so that seats were blocked off to meet social distancing requirements. "People can live with that," he said. "For a remarkable number of people - particularly men in Derry - coming into a church seems to still be very important." Access to well spaced-out private devotion time in a church, particularly in the Catholic tradition, is at least as important as access to an off-licence Dr McKeown also pointed out that among the 'reasonable excuses' for leaving home was providing care and assistance to a vulnerable person. "Going to a church for private prayer can be a very important service for a vulnerable person," he said. Measures to combat the spread of Covid-19 have dramatically impacted wakes and funerals in Ireland, with graveside committals becoming increasingly prevalent. Government rules do explicitly allow for funerals in church buildings to continue, albeit under very strict conditions, including that only immediate family should attend and that appropriate social distancing is practised. However, the north's largest Catholic diocese, Down and Connor, last week announced it would no longer host funerals in its church buildings. The deceased's remains would instead be brought directly to the cemetery for burial. The Catholic diocese of Clogher followed at the weekend and the Methodist Church has also decided to suspend church funerals. Presbyterian and Church of Ireland clergy continue to offer church funerals as well as graveside committals. Bishop McKeown said that Ireland's "very healthy tradition of the wake" meant that bereaved families were understandably upset by the restrictions made necessary by coronavirus. "Talking to the priests here, we're always focusing on how we help these people in their bereavement," he said, adding that the Irish bishops had developed prayers "for families to pray themselves around the remains" as well as "ways of praying with people who are ill but can't be visited". "We are trying to develop ways of engaging with the reality of bereavement and asking how can we best help people in their really painful hour of need," he said. Discretion and sensitivity are of utmost importance to meet people in "their hour of grief" in the midst of the "terrible circumstances" of the coronavirus crisis, said the bishop. "I'm saying to priests that some families won't worry about not having a church service, whereas some will say they desperately want a church service," said Dr McKeown. "The government regulations, north and south, do make allowances for having church funerals. "If the priest happens to be a man whose health is not in great shape, I might advise him to say that he can't do it, and get someone else to say prayers at the graveside - people will understand if the priest has just had a heart bypass or cancer treatment. "But we have to have as our starting point: What is the best we can do for people in their hour of grief? "It may to have a funeral service or Mass in the church where everyone is far enough apart and no-one is being compromised. "Or even a short service at the door of the church, with the priest accompanying the family to the graveyard." Church funerals, particularly with webcams now so widely used, also offer a way for "family abroad or who can't get home" to participate, said Dr McKeown. "We have to look at what their needs are, and be sensitive to those needs."
It's not the first time that Mass has been suspended or forbidden in Ireland -- From 1695 our Catholic ancestors were forbidden from attending public Mass and were forced to hear Mass secretly in secluded areas - often an appropriate place was sought out that had a flat stone or rock which the priest could use as an altar and hence the term Mass Rock. These Mass rocks are to be found dotted all over the Irish Landscape. The Mass Rock is a powerful reminder of the faith of our ancestors - the faith not only survived but flourished until recent times. Unfortunately, materialism and secularism have decimated the Irish Church more than persecution. But I am convinced real persecution is coming back and coming soon in my lifetime. PRNAL LAWS IN IRELAND "In 1695 harsh penal laws were enforced, known as the 'popery code': Catholics were prohibited from buying land, bringing their children up as Catholics, and from entering the forces or the law. Catholics could no longer run for elected office, purchase land, or own property (such as horses) valued at more than 5 pounds. In the early years of the 18th century the ruling Protestants in Ireland passed these laws designed to strip the "backwards" Catholic population of remaining land, positions of influence and civil rights. By 1778 Irish Catholics would own a meager 5% of Irish land. Furthermore, the Catholic educational system was outlawed and priests who did not conform to the laws could be branded on the face or castrated. As a result, much of Catholic church services and education and record keeping was forced underground, to operate only under extreme secrecy. The religion and culture were kept alive by secret open-air masses and illegal outdoor schools, known as 'hedge' schools. All Irish culture, music and education was banned. By the time of the census of 1841 the Irish were impoverished, landless and leaderless by the eve of the famine. Professor Lecky a British Protestant and ardent British sympathizer, said in his "History of Ireland in the 18th Century" that the object of the Penal Laws was threefold: "To deprive Catholics of all civil life; to reduce them to a condition of extreme, brutal ignorance; and, to disassociate them from the soil.: Lecky said, "He might with absolute justice, substitute Irish for Catholic, "and added a fourth objective: "To expatriate the race." Most scholars agree that the Penal Laws helped set the stage for the injustices that occurred during The Great Famine and fueled the fires of racism that were directed against the Irish by the British. Lecky outlined the Penal Laws as follows: The Catholic Church forbidden to keep church registers. The Irish Catholic was forbidden the exercise of his religion. He was forbidden to receive education. He was forbidden to enter a profession. He was forbidden to hold public office. He was forbidden to engage in trade or commerce. He was forbidden to live in a corporate town or within five miles thereof. He was forbidden to own a horse of greater value than five pounds. He was forbidden to own land. He was forbidden to lease land. He was forbidden to accept a mortgage on land in security for a loan. He was forbidden to vote. He was forbidden to keep any arms for his protection. He was forbidden to hold a life annuity. He was forbidden to buy land from a Protestant. He was forbidden to receive a gift of land from a Protestant. He was forbidden to inherit land from a Protestant. He was forbidden to inherit anything from a Protestant. He was forbidden to rent any land that was worth more than 30 shillings a year. He was forbidden to reap from his land any profit exceeding a third of the rent. He could not be guardian to a child. He could not, when dying, leave his infant children under Catholic guardianship. He could not attend Catholic worship. He was compelled by law to attend Protestant worship. He could not himself educate his child. He could not send his child to a Catholic teacher. He could not employ a Catholic teacher to come to his child. He could not send his child abroad to receive education. * From: MacManus " the story of the Irish Race" 1921.Devin-Adair Publishing Co., New York. The majority of the penal laws were removed in the period 1778–1793 with the last of them of any significance being removed in 1829.
Not even during the Communist persecutions of the 20th century have so many public masses been stopped worldwide. Maybe this is what is meant by the phrase "when Communism comes again." If you survey the nations of the earth right now, I'd say the majority of the inhabitants of the majority of these nations, have embraced the Communist way of life, which is nothing more than State-sanctioned Materialism. I wrote to my bishop several months ago petitioning him to honor Our Lady of America's request that her statue be solemnly, publicly processed by the Bishops of America to the National Shrine in D.C. It's better late than never and I encourage all Americans who have not petitioned their local bishops to do so now. Maybe now, with this Coronacrisis, they will be more apt to listen to Our Lady's requests.
Our Archbishop is Wilton Gregory, here in the Archdiocese of Washington, which is where the Shrine is located. Maybe I will do that. He was installed as Archbishop in the Shrine in a Mass. Hmmm.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/l...to-shut-down-churches-going-beyond-govt-order LGBT activist helped mastermind UK bishops’ order to shut down churches, going beyond govt order The UK Catholic bishops' advisor who urged government to close churches has a history of LGBT activism. UNITED KINGDOM, April 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The spokesperson for the Catholic Church in England who explained to the UK government why churches should be closed due to the coronavirus, despite the government originally saying churches should remain open, has a history of supporting and promoting the LGBT agenda, LifeSite has learned. Professor Jim McManus, a member of the healthcare reference group for the Catholic bishops of England and Wales, helped prepare the bishops’ coronavirus guidance and, according to a statement released by the Diocese of Westminster last month, explained to the UK government why churches must be shut in response to the crisis. The bishops closed the churches despite a guidance published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government that stated that “places of worship should remain open for solitary prayer.” The diocese explained the role played by McManus in the closing of churches in a message it published after the government announced that, as part of the ongoing nationwide lockdown all churches and places of worship must close altogether, having previously said that they could remain open for private prayer. “Professor Jim McManus has spoken with a senior civil servant and it was quite clear they just had not thought through the issues of infection and security of churches and when he made these points clear, they were appalled and agreed they had made a mistake,” the diocese’s document said. “Keeping churches open sends an utterly inconsistent message and therefore they must be closed for the benefit of others and stopping infection,” the document continued. McManus was involved earlier this year in promoting a scheme encouraging workers to wear rainbow-coloured staff ID lanyards as part of a Hertfordshire County Council “LGBT+ Allies Scheme.” In a 2014 presentation produced by McManus titled “Delivering anti homophobia in faith schools” he asserts that “ome LGBT Catholics feel in conscience they can live full lives in relationships, others feel called to take Church’s teaching literally. Catholic schools do not have to take sides or depart from official teaching to be able to commit to reducing bullying.” In the same presentation, McManus also cites pro-homosexual guidance to schools from Stonewall, a U.K. LGBT activist group roughly equivalent to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) in the United States. Stonewall encourages British primary schools to embed gay, lesbian, and transgender themes and examples into every subject area and every grade level.
So here we have a known public Gay Rights campaigner advising Catholic Bishops when and where Churches should and should not be open and that public Masses should not be celebrated and they took and are taking his advice. It speaks for itself I think. Can we sink any lower? ...I really don't see how.
I'm so happy today! Our Archdiocese here in Vancouver, BC, Canada, is allowing Easter Triduum Services, with some restrictions (max. of 50 people at Masses). Adoration, Confessions, Stations of the Cross and best of all, Easter Sunday Mass! Praise the Lord!
