EWTN’s Warsaw: No politician can ‘cancel Christmas’

A family prays at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, June 2020 / lev radin/Shutterstock

Washington D.C., Apr 28, 2021 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Providence is transitioning toward “normal liturgical practices” following new public health guidelines from the state of Rhode Island. 

“Now that many of the restrictions imposed on gatherings in our state have been lifted, we are overjoyed to return to a more normal liturgical experience,” Fr. Jeremy Rodrigues, the diocese’s director of divine worship, told CNA in a statement. 

“This also affords us the opportunity to reinvigorate our parishes and appreciate the beauty that is the Catholic Mass,” Fr. Rodrigues said.

The new diocesan protocols will go into effect on May 7, and are aimed at creating a more welcoming environment to parishioners by eliminating “any unnecessary social restrictions on the faithful.” 

The diocese said that the faithful should be encouraged to attend Mass during the week and “especially” on Sundays, but it is still dispensing Catholics from their obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.

Under the new protocols, capacity at churches will be increased from 75% to 80%, and social distancing will decrease from six to three feet between families or individuals. Pews once roped off to enforce the six-foot distancing measures will be available for seating again. Parishes should stop requiring parishioners to reserve seats at Mass, and “markings, tape, plexiglass, and other signage related to COVID restrictions should be removed,” the diocese directed. 

Fr. Rodrigues praised parishes for acting to prevent any traceable outbreaks of COVID-19.

“It is very encouraging to the faithful that our parishes have done so well in the midst of the pandemic keeping everyone safe and healthy. There have been zero traceable outbreaks in all of our parishes,” he said. 

Celebrants of Mass and ministers are no longer required to wear masks under the new diocesan standards, and altar servers and lectors are encouraged to participate at Mass once again – as well as extraordinary ministers “if necessary.”

The new guidelines allow for liturgical processions to and from the altar, and hymnals and other worship aids can be placed in the pews. 

The diocese encouraged choirs to begin singing again while adhering to social distancing standards. Churches can again fill their Holy Water fonts and ushers may again use offertory baskets. 

Parishioners are now allowed to offer the Sign of Peace but with no physical contact. This should “simply be done verbally,” the diocese said.

Holy Communion no longer needs to be distributed after the final blessing. The diocese also stated that “the lay faithful should be reminded that they may receive Holy Communion either on the hand or on the tongue.”

The use of harsh chemicals on the pews or the sanitization of the church after every Mass is no longer necessary, the diocese said. 

Certain protocols will be kept in place by the diocese, including the availability of hand sanitizing dispensers at church vestibules, and the wearing of face masks indoors for large gatherings – except in cases of individual health concerns. 

The diocese maintained that distribution of the Precious Blood is suspended for the lay faithful. Parishes must still allow for proper ventilation for increased airflow, and HVAC filtration when possible. Parishioners must still avoid unnecessary crowding at the entrances of the church and in the aisles whenever possible.  

The diocese allows for members of the same household to forgo social distancing in pews but for those who aren’t it is still encouraged. 

[…]

Atlanta, Ga., May 10, 2019 / 03:30 pm (CNA).- Following the passage of the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act in Georgia earlier this week, a promised boycott by film and television figures has failed to materialize.

Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed the bill into law on Wednesday. Actress Alyssa Milano wrote an open letter Kemp in March, threatening a widespread entertainment industry boycott should the LIFE Act pass. The letter was co-signed by about 50 Hollywood actors.

At the time of the bill’s signing, Kemp said that “I realize that some may challenge [this bill] in the court of law. But our job is to do what is right, not what is easy.”

So far, only the three companies–Blown Deadline, Killer Films, and Duplass Brothers Production– have said that they will only consider filming in Georgia if the law is overturned. None have previously worked in the state.

Milano herself is still filming for her current project “Insatiable,” which is shot in Atlanta. While she remains on set, the former child star of “Who’s the Boss?” told BuzzFeed News that she would not return to the show if it were to be renewed for a third season, unless production was moved from Georgia.

The Motion Picture Association of America, which represents entertainment companies such as Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Netflix, all of whom actually film movies and television shows in Georgia, has not taken any position on the boycott.

MPAA spokesman Chris Ortman told the Hollywood Reporter that the organization had taken no decision to boycott the state, citing its deep ties to the local economy and the likely legal challenges the law will face.

“It is important to remember that similar legislation has been attempted in other states, and has either been enjoined by the courts or is currently being challenged. The outcome in Georgia will also be determined through the legal process,” said Ortman, adding, “We will continue to monitor developments.”

Actress Ashley Bratcher, who lives in Georgia, did not join in on the calls for boycott. Bratcher, who starred as pro-life activist Abby Johnson in the film “Unplanned,” wrote a rebuttal to Milano defending the legislation and the sanctity of life. During the filming of Unplanned, Bratcher learned that she was herself nearly aborted.

The Supreme Court found in the 1973 decision Roe vs. Wade that a woman in the United States has a constitutional right to abortion. Since that decision, laws that criminalize abortion prior to fetal viability have typically been overturned as unconstitutional.

The so-called “heartbeat bills” have faced challenges in every state where they have been passed. These legal battles have prompted some pro-life advocates, including Catholic bishops, to withhold endorsing the legislation.

Tennessee’s Catholic bishops chose to oppose their state’s heartbeat bill over concerns that it would not stand up to judicial scrutiny. They voiced concern that it was an imprudent approach to fighting legal abortion, citing other states where legal challenges to such bills ended up further enshrining a legal “right to abortion” and forcing the state to pay significant sums of money to the lawyers representing the pro-abortion challengers to the laws.

The Georgia law is set to go into effect on January 1, several pro-abortion organizations have promised to challenge it in court.

The entertainment industry also threatened to boycott Georgia should Kemp be elected governor. This boycott did not materialize.

[…]

Albany, N.Y., Aug 15, 2019 / 12:30 pm (CNA).- Over 400 lawsuits were filed in New York state on the first day of a one-year window in the statute of limitations, allowing abuse survivors to file suit against their abuser or the institution where the ab… […]