Online Masses not enough

By Modesto P. Sa-onoy

For the first time in our history churches were closed. Not all the pandemics and wars had closed their doors and the hierarchy agreed to the mandate of the government. It was a case of keeping people healthy or dead.

People were unprepared for the suddenness the quarantine. The Church leaders raised their collective voices to heaven with the oratio imperata to put an end to the disease but God answered us in His own way, different for each one of us though we may not discern His answer.

To practicing Catholics the most difficult was the closure of churches because they could not go to Mass even on Sunday to fulfill their obligation that God has commanded – to keep holy and honor Him on the Lord day. However, though the churches were closed, the daily celebration of the Mass remained.

As I explained to a friend, the priest has an obligation to say Mass daily even if there are no people in attendance because the church is full of angels.

Modern technology has allowed us to “hear” Mass on radio and “see” on television and the Church has allowed us to comply with our religious obligations “online.” For many they found the idea convenient and welcomed it. A priest online, however warned that the idea of the “new normal” might make people believe that they had complied with the Sunday attendance at Mass online even if the pandemic had ceased.

The warning of Archdiocese of Manila apostolic administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo is timely and should be made clear by pastors. He said that “while Masses have been celebrated online, virtual is not enough for Catholics who have been deprived of the Holy Eucharist which they receive only when physically present at church.

In his homily last Sunday during the celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi (Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ), Pabillo said Catholics have been deprived of receiving the body of Christ during holy communion. Being unable to receive communion is one of the sacrifices Filipino Catholics have had to endure for the past three months or since the start of community quarantine.

“We have been deprived of the Holy Mass. Yes, we have these online Masses, but this is not the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist… We make do with this very temporary arrangement of online Mass because of the extraordinary situation we are in, but it is not the Mass itself,” Pabillo said.

He added that “participating in this online Mass, helps you spiritually, you hear the words of God, it helps you to pray, you become part of the worshipping community but deep down you know it is not the Mass. Our celebration with God and our relationship with Him is something that is real, actual and cannot be reduced to virtual. We all long to go back to participate in the Mass in a church. Virtual is not enough, we want the real thing.”

He explained that receiving the Holy Eucharist is important for Catholics since Jesus had said that those who partake of his flesh – meaning holy communion – would be granted eternal life.

For this reason, Pabillo reiterated his appeal to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to consider religious activities as essential services, adding that religious services should not be categorized as mass gatherings along with entertainment establishments such as movie houses and beauty salons. Religious activities should not be limited to ten persons only, whether the church is the size of a chapel or cathedral.

However, Malacañang is firm on sustaining restrictions on public Masses, saying Filipinos can foster a relationship with God at home. This is the thinking of people who do not believe in the Mass. This is expected because the present government has been unfriendly to the Church.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque maintained that the restriction on public masses was meant to protect public health. He said, “Well, Bishop Pabillo, all of us want to go to Mass. But we are taking care of everybody’s health. We can pray and foster a relationship with our God even in our homes and by video.”

Roque thinks from a different level – participating in a Mass is like watching a movie – you can do it at home or at the movie house – you see the film just the same.