This week, the opening of churches became a political issue. In Minnesota, a set of overly restrictive guidelines from Gov. Tim Walz that seemed to single-out religious bodies prompted the bishops of that state to defy their governor and issue their own guidelines in contradiction to his.[1] On the federal level, President Trump spent the end of last week calling for churches to be open all over the country[2], a call which prompted our own Washington State bishops to issue a statement in response.[3]
I have heard from our own parishioners on both sides of this question: those who think our parish should defy the governor’s orders and open immediately and those who have told me that they will likely wait many weeks or months before returning, even after Mass is offered publicly again. All good Catholics, all making valid points.
Bluntly, though, I do not care what the President or the Governor say. As Catholics, politics is never our reference point. We first seek to determine the right course of action, according to the will of God communicated through the teachings of our faith, and then we ask how we can best achieve that end politically. Sometimes that means cooperation with the government and other times that requires some form of defiance. But in every case, we ask what is right first and consider the politics second.
In this case, I am in full agreement with our bishops that a slow and deliberate reopening is the right thing to do. A hasty rush to public Masses could be very harmful to our people and our local community, and that is not a risk I am willing to take for the sake of an extra weekend or two. I could not care less which politicians or pundits that position aligns me with.
[2] https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/president-trump-churches-should-reopen-right-now-10450
[3] http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org/Assets/News/WSCC-Statement-ReopeningChurches-05222020.pdf
Fr. Moore 