Following is from link I sent you. These instructions are not optional. They are to be followed by all parishes at every weekday mass.This reminds me of when I was in the ROTC (not for long, though) and was always confused over when to wear my uniform hat, and whether to salute if my hat wasn't on. More below. The visitor also commented,Before Mass
5. The faithful are obliged to wear a mask (or other face covering) upon entering the church and during the celebration of Mass, except when seated in the pew and for the brief moment of receiving Holy Communion.
Examples of non-observance on part of worshipers include not wearing a mask, sitting in a pew directly behind another parishioner, not keeping distance from other worshippers while leaving church (see below). This is mainly an issue during weekday mass, when there are no ushers.Here's my take on this. This is a completely new and unusual situation, and based on the subtext of remarks during homilies and announcements. as well as body language when I see them on Facebook, our own priests seem to agree with this and want to get through it. The situation is so new and unusual that the Diocese of Jefferson City has issued several pages of instructions on how to deal with it -- but we must hope that those instructions will be in effect for no more than a matter of weeks.
In this case, the visitor reports that the problem is most pronounced during weekday mass. My surmise is that with no ushers available, the pews aren't roped off on weekdays, so attendees may well be confused over whether the special instructions are still in effect, which pew is the right one to sit in, and which page of the new policy applies to it. I don't really blame them. The bishops all seem to be asking for patience in this situation. Correctly, I think. I said yesterday that people will have different levels of comfort with how things work out going forward, and as the visitor said then, the dispensation from attending in-person mass is still in effect.
But let's back up a few steps and look at she situation from the standpoint of the natural virtues, prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice.
Prudence: In a time of contagion, we're called to exercise prudence to protect ourselves, our families, and our neighbors. Even if masks aren't much more than a token, they're a matter of courtesy and respect, at least for a reasonable duration. The same would apply to social distancing in the pew, with allowances for people who might not understand that if the pews aren't roped off, the rules still apply. Again, we may reasonably expect the situation to be temporary.
Fortitude: Another side to the coin is having the strength and courage to persist in the crisis, and particularly to make realistic estimates of risk. Even given how little we know about COVID, as more information becomes available almost daily, we're beginning to understand that the contagion had arrived in the US as early as late 2019, and we didn't know it because so many people didn't show symptoms. As best we can tell, somewhere between 10% and 30% of the population has already been infected and is asymptomatic.
This means that especially for people who are young and healthy, even infection isn't a dire matter, and it leads to immunity. Among those over 65, deaths are heavily concentrated in nursing homes, and this problem needs to be addressed via clear changes in procedures there and changes in government policies.
Temperance: In this case, I think individuals are entitled to make individual estimates of risk based on prudence tempered by fortitude. Temperance would certainly rule out panic or hysteria in reacting to the overall crisis. If people find it impossible to work but fare better financially on unemployment anyhow, I guess you'd have to say more power to them, at least for the duration. But not everyone needs to make that particular determination, and not everyone can. Everyone's choices will differ based on weighing the variables.
Justice: I'm drawn to Prof Feser's argument that natural rights include the ability to earn a living, freedom of movement, freedom, pf association, and freedom of worship. Governments may limit these rights in highly exceptional cases, but they must be circumscribed, and the longer those rights are limited, the harder it is for governments to justify. Past a certain point -- and in at least some cases, we're past it -- state and local governments sin against justice. In some cases, courts are beginning to recognize this.
I certainly think we're entitled to hope that the circumstances that lead dioceses to take exceptional measures with how masses are run will be of short duration, and I agree with bishops who have little choice but to urge us to be patient during this period. People will need to work out what's the most effective way to resolve the issues they can control the best way they can.
