Houston Makes A Quick U-Turn

E-mails from Houston intended for ordinariate clergy continue to make their way into my in-box. Again, I want to stress that these are arriving via multiple third parties and have not been forwarded to me by any clergy of any prelature or denomination. I have no knowledge of which original recipients may have inadvertently let them out.

The first is from J Henry, Bp Lopes's secretary, dated Sunday, March 15, the tone of which indicates that there must have been considerable disarray in Houston on a day which normally would have been of rest. Click on the image for a larger view:

It's hard to avoid the impression that the guidance Bp Lopes gave in the e-mail referred to here, and which I quoted Sunday, was overtaken by events, certainly by Friday, when many important dioceses suspended the mass obligation and often canceled public masses. Yet in response, the only authoritative word from Bp Lopes remained, "It is impossible to account for every local recommendation or eventuality. I will not require Masses or the celebration of Sacraments to be suspended."

Can there be any surprise that there would be urgent requests for more specific guidance from Bp Lopes's clergy? Even so, J Henry is clearly annoyed that such would be the case. (Again, he seems to have bypassed the vicar general here, who would be in the normal chain of command in the event of the bishop's indisposition. Was Fr Perkins also indisposed?)

I also received the text of the e-mail dated February 16, to which J Henry refers above, from a second source. Here it is:

"Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation. At this time when the faithful need to maintain some degree of equilibrium in the midst of the current health crisis brought on by COVID-19, we pastors assist them by speaking calmly, clearly, and always from the perspective of faith.

Since I first wrote to you about this crisis several days ago, the situation has developed dramatically. As much as we would like to help, it is not possible to consult with you individually about every parochial response to this developing situation. Nevertheless, for the pastoral good of our faithful, I wish to communicate the following guidelines, acknowledging that these may change as the response to the virus develops:

1) The Eucharistic liturgy is the source and summit of the Church’s life. As the federal and local governments issue new guidelines, the question of the public celebration Mass of Mass comes to the fore.

a. Priests may celebrate Mass in their churches at the posted times, though with a private character. Pastors should consider suspending the distribution of Holy Communion.
b. In those circumstances where the Ordinariate community uses space belonging to the local diocese, that diocesan policy and procedure governs the Ordinariate community as well.
c. In those circumstances where the Ordinariate parish owns its own church or liturgical space, the local Pastor should make his determination prudently and with due regard for the policies and recommendations of the local Church.

2) As indicated in yesterday’s communication from Mr. Weber, the obligation to attend Mass in the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter is commuted on Sunday, March 22 and March 29. This means that the Sunday obligation of the Christian faithful is met through one of the two following pious practices:

a. Prayerful reflection upon the Sunday Scripture readings, concluding that time by the recitation of the Prayer of Humble Access or the Anima Christi;
b. The recitation of the Rosary as a family.

3) The following individuals are encouraged to remain at home and not attend Mass on March 22and 29:

a. Those who are currently ill;
b. Those who are suffering from a chronic health condition;
c. Those whose immune system is compromised;
d. Those who are over the age of 65;
e. Those who are uncomfortable attending Sunday Mass due to concerns over the Coronavirus.

4) The federal government has asked us to severely limit public gatherings. For the next two weeks, all such gatherings should therefore be suspended. These include: religious education classes, coffee hour, fellowship after Mass, as well as Lenten events such as communal Penance services and Stations of the Cross.

Finally, in view of his coming feast, let us pray to St. Joseph for our parishes and indeed for all people of good will, that we be delivered safely from this scourge.

St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, Pray for us!

Sincerely in Christ,

+Steven J. Lopes"

Two San Antonio Catholics have indicated that the masses celebrated by Fr Lewis at Our Lady of the Atonement on March 15 did not follow these guidelines, especially as civil authorities there have asked that public gatherings now be no more than 50 people. Had J Henry and the bishop been maintaining situational awareness of the policy changes adopted by US bishops as of March 13, as normal conscientiousness would require, the guidance Bp Lopes belatedly issued yesterday would have been in place by the weekend, and poor J Henry's annoyance that the bishop was being bothered could have been avoided.

In his e-mail, J Henry basically pleads the bishop's indisposition for this matter not being promptly addressed. Again, since Houston was fully aware of the bishop's condition for fully three weeks, I have a hard time understanding how Fr Perkins, as vicar general, did not come to recognize what his role should be in these constantly changing and critical circumstances. This in turn leads to what kind of an organization Bp Lopes has created and tolerates, especially given the tone of annoyance J Henry clearly displays that any such matters would need to be addressed at all.

I think the most charitable explanation here is that Bp Lopes's medications and physical condition place him in a state where he is not fully able to maintain situational awareness, when a state of civic emergency requires this. Since circumstances will inevitably be changing on a daily basis for the foreseeable future, and since Fr Perkins may not be capable of adapting to such a new environment --- and since J Henry is clearly annoyed at it -- I'm wondering what measures the Church may need to undertake here.

UPDATE: There is a letter on the OLA Facebook page dated March 16 from Fr Lewis commuting he Sunday mass obligation for March 22 and 29. This is an abbreviated version of the e-mail quoted above. It's hard to avoid thinking Abp Gustavo had input into this development.