Washington D.C., Apr 20, 2020 / 03:10 pm (CNA).- Catholics around the world marked Divine Mercy Sunday at home, as public liturgies remain cancelled in many dioceses due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But one parish in Washington, D.C., found a way to bring the Lord to people even amidst the citywide stay-at-home order.
Msgr. Charles Pope, pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Catholic Church on Capitol Hill, has been organizing a daily Rosary walk during the quarantine, together with six religious sisters of the Servants of the Lord the Virgin of Matará (Servidoras) who live nearby, and the three seminarians who live at the parish.
For Divine Mercy Sunday, they switched up their routine: instead of departing at their usual 12:30 p.m., they met up in the church, prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet and, at 3 p.m., the hour of mercy, they turned their daily walk into a procession with Msgr. Pope carrying the Eucharist in a monstrance.
There was a “lot of beautiful response” to seeing the Eucharistic procession, Pope told CNA on Monday, April 20. He said people came out of their homes to adore the Eucharist, made the sign of the cross, and some even pulled over in their cars for a brief moment of prayer.
“For whatever reason we hit a good time when there were a lot of Catholics out in Lincoln Park,” he said with a laugh.
After the procession returned to the parish, Pope displayed the Eucharist on a table outside of the building, and the group prayed for “an end to the plague.”
As the Servidoras wear full habits with veils and Pope wears a cassock, he said they form “a pretty visible group” as they walk through the neighborhood. Despite their visibility, Pope said he has had zero negative interactions with the police, and very minimal negative interaction with passers-by.
“They’re used to us,” he explained. Washington regulations limit gatherings to fewer than 10 people, the size of the Rosary group.
Pope told CNA that he has been careful to follow whatever norms and laws are in place regarding social distancing, even though the sisters are technically exempt, as they all live in the same household.
“We don’t want people to misunderstand,” he said. “We do follow the six feet rule.”
The Rosary walk was the brainchild of the Servidoras, shortly after the suspension of public liturgies.
“We just thought we still needed to be out in the neighborhood,” said Pope.
The suspension of public liturgies and the inability to minister in person to his parish has been “utterly emotionally crushing” for Pope, but he told CNA that he has made adjustments to continue serving those in need.
The quarantine “has opened up these other opportunities, like walking in the neighborhood more,” he said, and he has been hosting Bible studies and meetings on Zoom. His parish has been offering unannounced, informal Eucharistic adoration each day, and, he noted, the Archdiocese of Washington has not issued any decree regarding the availability of confession so penitents can still receive the sacrament.
Pope told CNA that he thinks that some of these changes may continue on even after the quarantine has lifted.
“I’m hoping a lot of the stuff that we’ve done, we can continue doing,” he said.
“Maybe this is one of the ways the Lord kind of gave us a kick in the pants. ‘I need you to be out in the neighborhood more, I need you to be online more, I want you to find more creative ways to reach people.'”
Still, Pope said that being unable to distribute communion to the faithful has been one of the biggest challenges of the quarantine.
“The prohibition of giving communion out at all is problematic,” he said, wondering why he would be prohibited from celebrating Mass with just nine other people. He told CNA that he was willing to wear gloves, a mask, or shift liturgical practices to ensure that people can safely receive the sacraments.
“I would [take whatever precautions were necessary],” he said. “Because I care about God’s people. It may feel a little humiliating, but I’m willing to humiliate myself to give them Holy Communion. I want to feed them, I want them to have communion.”
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Now that he’s been laicized, he’s no longer the institutional Church’s problem. Let the government pursue the charges with him as it would with any other person. But, given how he’s managed to weasel out of any and all criminal complications, nothing will happen.
Francis is never one to abide by canon law, nor does anyone besides Vigano protest when he violates it. What’s to stop him from tossing one of his laicized pals a boatload of money for legal fees. Mercy for evil doers, none for victims.
I recall that James Grein accused both McCarrick, and Bernardin of Chicago, with assaulting him at the lake in Wisconsin.
It seems likely that this may be the same case.
Voilà!
It’s only taken 46 years, but the Catholic Church has finally stumbled upon the way to handle its pervy predatory priest problem:
Turn them over to the civil authorities who will throw their ***es into prison.
Nitpick of the day, it’s Lake Geneva. I don’t see how things that are so obviously wrong can take so long to drag on and on. Wasn’t there supposed to be a report or something?
A sad end to an old man who thus far refuses to repent! Schemes and deception are unsuitable for a man proclaiming Jesus Christ.
Protestant Brian Young:
How do you know that McCarrick has refused to repent? Have you read his mind? What do you know about his confession status and the status of his soul? Did God reveal to you that McCarrick has refused to repent?
Schemes and deceptions are indeed unsuitable for anyone who proclaims Jesus Christ. These include writing things in Catholic comboxes designed to undermine the Catholic Faith and encourage Catholics to give up some of their cherished doctrinal beliefs.
Now what kind of a Christian would ever do such things while also absurdly proclaiming that he offers his deceptive words in a “spirit of godliness and edification”?
Dear dear, how fragile the catholic faith according to your prognostications. Was under the mistaken impression “that the gates of hell would not prevail against it”! Yet, according to you, I am wrong at every step. Why, you seem offended that we breath the same air!
Are you at the door extending your warm, felicitous greetings to one and all? Would the Lord Jesus pass your discerning muster? Yet don’t feel lonely for I encountered others of your ilk.
To the credit of the Catholic Church, I’ve met outstanding men and women of God, people who give fine testimony to what jesus Christ has done in their lives. Hope runs eternal, you are in my prayers.
Pardon me for not responding directly to your point. A recent article at CWR mentioned that “Uncle Ted” said of his accuser. “That is not true”! That is not repentance for the person who brought these charges against him is one of many who have strong cases! However, you are correct in every matter. No need for confession from your esteemed perspective.
Woe is me, poor sinner that I am, a constant struggle and unfailing repentance. The Lord is faithful and knows the predicament of man whatever his besetting sins are.
What is sad is that there are numerous predators in that church and many people who know who they are but are afraid or unwilling to call them out. God knows both groups and will deliver them a just and eternal punishment.
What what are you referencing when you write: “in that church (sic)”?
Is this Brian Young the Protestant or a different Brian altogether attacking “that church”?
In any case, the predator problem continues to sadly afflict all denominations, and the Catholic Church is not by any stretch the leader of the pack in housing and protecting a higher percentage of predators than any other denomination as many anti-Catholics would have everyone believe. As a matter of fact, the Catholic Church is a leader in implementing beneficial reforms to significantly reduce the incidences of abuse and cover-up, though of course more work needs to be done to eradicate the problem altogether.
It has been mentioned before, but for anyone who desires to get a better handle on the past and current status of the sexual abuse crisis, get a copy of Bill Donohue’s “The Truth About Clergy Sexual Abuse: Clarifying the Facts and Causes” (2021).
Also check out the following articles that demonstrate the ongoing lie that the sexual abuse problem is primarily a Catholic Church problem:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/do-the-right-thing/201808/separating-facts-about-clergy-abuse-fiction
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/may-web-only/southern-baptist-abuse-apocalypse-russell-moore.html
https://www.christiancentury.org/article/2013-10/evangelicals-worse-catholics-sexual-abuse