Washington D.C., Apr 16, 2020 / 05:00 am (CNA).- Archbishop Christophe Pierre was appointed apostolic nuncio to the United States in April 2016, after the archbishop had served as nuncio in Mexico, Uganda, and Haiti. As apostolic nuncio, Pierre is the Holy See’s diplomat to the United States, and the representative of Pope Francis to the U.S. bishops, and to all Catholics in the country.
Pierre, who celebrated 50 years of priesthood this month, spoke with CNA about living the Catholic faith during the coronavirus pandemic.
Your Excellency, throughout this pandemic Pope Francis has given us beautiful signs of our need for prayer: His walking pilgrimage, the Urbi et Orbi blessing, and his celebration of the Paschal Triduum in the near-empty St. Peter’s Basilica.
What message is the Holy Father giving during this pandemic? What does he want Catholics to remember and to understand?
During these days, we have received a lot of messages on our smartphones. A friend of mine sent me a humorous picture of God talking to the ‘enemy.’ The evil one saying, “With COVID19 I have closed your churches,” and with God answering, “On the contrary, I have opened a church in each house.”
I have been so impressed by the beautiful simplicity and the depth of the Holy Father’s Urbi et Orbi blessing in St. Peter’s Square. His meditation reached out to us to where we are. Consistent with what he has tried to tell us in the last six years, he helped us to understand. This is what a leader should do. As we suddenly rediscover our vulnerability, he invited us to rely on God and one another.
During this pandemic, we know that people are suffering around the world, from the virus and from the economic collapse. Yet while we want to help, we are bound in our homes. What works of mercy can we do from our homes; what good can Catholics do to help during the pandemic?
We are all confined to our homes. And it is quite painful. And the Shepherd wants to reach out to us in our homes, where we are mysteriously obliged to stay to protect ourselves, but also to prepare a new world, hopefully different. The suffering is immense, but we cannot remain alone.
We want to go out, to re-build, and rediscover Christian core values, often forgotten; such as human dignity, centrality of the human person, solidarity, and fraternity.
Yes, we are not able to go to church, but our houses have become ‘church’ – the domestic church, the place where we listen to the voice of God, and his life is received to transform us.
From the empty churches the Good News has been announced and many people have suddenly experienced the power of the sacraments, living signs of God’s presence in our lives…God who accompanies us, forgives us, and has united us to Him and to our mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters.
I celebrated the liturgies of Holy Week in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. Even though the basilica was empty, I was told that a half million households connected to this public prayer of the Church through social media.
Archbishop, the economic collapse will have long-term repercussions in this country. More people are now unemployed than have been since the Great Depression. What role will the Church play as we adjust to a new economic reality, especially one that could be so gravely difficult?
The economic collapse is disastrous; so many have lost almost everything. The economy which looked so strong showed its fragility in only a few weeks. And yet this country considers itself to be the strongest in the world. What about the poor?
There are no other solutions than to rebuild. Together. We are reminded by Pope Francis it is not the time to make arms. He even asked us to stop all kinds of useless wars. The new reality which will come out of this experience will necessarily be built upon a new way of using resources. The Church is made up of those who are disciples of the Prince of Peace and Justice, and who will participate actively in the construction of a new society.
During these days, I have witnessed the extraordinary work of Catholic institutions at all levels – parish, diocesan, and national – involved with helping and sharing. The particular contribution of the Church will always be attention to the poorest and weakest. To live out the story of the Good Samaritan.
The pandemic has led many people to question the wisdom of an ever-globalizing economy. Pope Francis, in Laudato si, wrote about the importance of an economy at which the common good is at the center. What lessons does Laudato si have for the moment?
In his meditation during the recent Orbi et Urbi, the Holy Father said: “This storm exposes our vulnerability and uncovers false and superfluous certainties around which we have constructed our daily schedule, our projects, our habits, and our priorities…All those attempt to anesthetize us with ways of thinking and acting that supposedly ‘save’ us.”
During the last few years, many people did not appreciate the words of wisdom in Laudato si and many other reflections on the social doctrine of the Church. And yet, [those reflections] repeat basic principles, particularly the importance of an economy at the service of the common good, of economic systems serving the whole person and all people, the respect of God’s creation, the sharing of what is given by God for our own good, solidarity and subsidiarity. These are fundamental ideas for the building of a just society and should inspire all of those who have a human responsibility; that is each one of us.
At the end of the meditation, the Holy Father said: “embracing his own cross means finding the courage to embrace all the hardships at the present time, abandoning for a moment our eagerness for power and possessions in order to make room for the creativity that only the Spirit is capable of inspiring.”
Across the country, bishops have reacted in different ways to the stay-at-home orders, with regard to sacramental ministry. Some bishops have prohibited confession except in the most dire circumstances, or baptisms, or anointing. At the same time, many Catholics say they feel a great need for the sacraments to get through the crisis, and some priests have told me they would not be able to deny confession to a person in mortal sin.
What are the principles that should guide the Church right now with regard to sacramental ministry? What has been the approach of the Holy Father to these questions?
I know the Shepherds of the Church have been suddenly obliged to make difficult decisions about the celebration of the liturgy and the sacraments, particularly during Holy Week. Most of the time, they have no other choice than to acknowledge – for good reasons – the decisions of those who have the responsibility for the common good. It was necessary and they have done well. Christians are faithful citizens and are called to live their faith in solidarity with all; to be the “salt of the earth and light of the world.”
For sure, the pope, bishops and priests have had to adjust to new situations. At times in normal circumstances, we may take for granted the sacraments of the Church. Perhaps, we are being led to rediscover the hunger for Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, and his forgiveness in Confession.
I have observed that many [clerics] have sacrificed to be with their people and some have even given their lives. The Holy Father is continually encouraging us to be at the service of the people. Thank God for the creativity of the Church in the United States.
There is also another dimension to your question. It is true, in such extraordinary times we have to be creative, to discover new ways of doing things. However, we should never forget that the Church is the sacrament of the presence of God and his love for suffering humanity.
What has your own prayer life been like during these times? How do you see the movement of the Holy Spirit in the Church right now?
I am convinced that COVID19 has helped us to become aware of the fact that we are the Church. Each one of us, baptized in Christ, is an instrument of his presence, with a special role for our own salvation and the salvation of others.
My prayer? First and foremost, like many, I have felt powerless, vulnerable, like the disciples in the boat during the storm. Many of my “certainties” disappeared. My prayer has been to trust him, to have faith, and to ask him to be a more responsible and active participant of his body, the Church.
[…]
It’ll be named a cardinal by F1 in 3,2,1…while the bishop will still be a bishop, but a good one… There are just a few around…
I agree that the St. Michael Prayer should not be forced on people at the end of Mass in a public manner. When I’ve seen this done, it precedes the recessional song and precedes the exit of the clergy, so the prayer is in fact Mass-adjacent and forced upon people in the pews. I also disagree with public praying of the rosary in the nave immediately before or after Mass. Don’t foist your preferred spiritual expressions on others in the nave.
Let the Mass be the Mass. Let people pray in silence before and after Mass.
The practice smacks of superstition, as if we need to add something more to the Mass because Mass isn’t enough.
Why would you say that praying to St. Michael smacks of superstition? What is superstitious about praying to St. Michael?Exorcists are warning that evil is ramping up and that the demonic is increasing all across our country. We need St. Michael now more than ever. And then your comment about praying the Rosary, it sounds like you don’t appreciate the power of the Rosary or how often Our Lady in her apparitions has asked that the Rosary be prayed. As Teresa of Avila once said, “Lord, deliver us from sour-faced saints.”
It’s not an extension of the mass, it’s imploring a saint for help. It’s a short prayer so couldn’t anyone literally hold their breath and then exhale to do their meditation afterwards?
EWTN does it and also begs for laborers; I don’t think it diminishes the mass effect and worship in the least.
So don’t pray them. What could be easier.
Your thought that praying the Rosary and/or the prayer to St. Michael demonstrates a superstitious attempt to add something to the Mass seems to me a kind of spiritual blindness.
Superstition? You need to evaluate your Catholic teaching and knowledge.
When we pray the Rosary before Mass we are meditating on Our Lords life, it prepares us for the celebration of Mass
God bless the good bishop for speaking up in defense of St. Michael’s
prayer. I attend a church where once the Mass is ended and dismissal offered,
the priest and people, myself included, fervently say the prayer. Given the
horrors of contemporary wars, the dishonesty of so many of our institutions,
the tragic loss of innocent lives, the prayer is most appropriate. As Fr.
deSouza wrote in the original column, “evil abounds.” The prayer, which I
well remember as a child, should never have been removed from the liturgy.
The article is unfortunately 1) vague and 2) incorrect in that it states 1) the prayer was used liturgically “until the Vatican II era” and 2) was a “feature of the mass.” As many on here already well know, the so-called Leonine (Leo XIII) prayers were imposed only for low masses (which didn’t even include any procession or singing to be interrupted – to respond to Scott Walker’s comment – and were done by the priest and people, with the priest kneeling on the altar steps, already having ended mass and typically while carrying the sacred vessels in hand. It was a public devotion outside the mass, and included several other prayers, such as the Hail Holy Queen, three Hail Marys, a prayer for the Church, the St. Michael prayer, and ending with three invocations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (therefore ending on a God-centered note). Low masses already ended with the “last gospel” – the first chapter of John, so the issue of “being sent forth” being interrupted makes little sense (yes, I realize the last gospel was suppressed in the revised mass, but still). St. Paul VI suppressed the public Leonine prayers as a required practice in 1964, yes, but it was hardly “banned.” Given the onslaught of evil that is glaringly obviously spreading throughout the world, a quick St. Michael prayer done by the people spontaneously (which is how I usually encounter it) is most welcome. Who could have a problem with that? Snobs? Purists? People who are emotionally allergic to traditional prayers or piety? If the latter, that might be something to take up with a spiritual director.
Yes, everyone is agreed that evil abounds and has been growing all around us for some time. This despite the growth of such devotions as the Rosary and the prayer to St Michael. And there is a Mass said every second of every day somewhere in the world.
How come evil does abound then ?
The evil in the world does not have to become man’s resting place. We are free to develop the alternative, to pray and to act with grace, out of the pit of sin. The Resurrection teaches that. Our first parents, choosing sin instead of paradise, led to us being where we are. The life, death and Resurrection of the Incarnate Word, together with His Church, however, offer us the faith, hope, and love as the alternative to the sinful world.
How do we know that devotional prayer has ‘grown’ over time? The efficacy of prayer relies on the grace of God and the holiness of the prayer.
Imagine the state of evil in the world if there were no Mass and no prayer. I would guess that we hain’t seen nothing yet of the power of evil if we were to stop entreaties to the Power of grace to compensate and to overcome.
Yeah, the St. Michael’s prayer at the end of Mass is the most egregious liturgical abuse today. Give me a break. Clearly the priest has an agenda.
For the priest objecting to the St. Michael prayer, where is his objection to clapping for the cookie ladies and the choir and everyone else at Mass? There are real abuses to be concerned about rather than praying for St. Michael’s guardianship. Get a grip.
the cookie ladies? who said Catholics don’t have a sense of humor; thank you for the chuckle
It reminds me of the lunch ladies 1-8 grades at the Catholic school I attended; good food and they worked for little money but mostly gratitude. We were not allowed to waste food – now food waste is almost a mortal sin in many schools
Fr. Bednar is clearly from the generation of priests who believe Vatican II is the be all and end all of Catholicism. His generation and their fanatical adoption of the “spirit of Vatican II” have literally emptied the pews. The damage done to souls is astronomical. Pray for them; they will have one heck of an accounting to make at their judgment.
The St Michael prayer was written by a holy Pope who warned of Freemasonry seeking to destroy the Church.
The St Michael prayer was cancel-cultured once the Freemasonic destruction of the church was underway 1962-2024.
I read the article in the Wall Street Journal. I did not think it deserved a response.
Now we see these debates over the liturgy.
I was an usher in a Catholic Church in the 1960’s. We agreed if we encountered a serious threat, we would defer to our usher was a police officer.
Fast forward to 2024.
We now live, or die, with gun violence.
St. Micheal is the Patron Saint of Police Officers. The “TOP COP”.
We can use St. Michael and local Police Officers to protect us from gun violence at religious events.
When I was growing up in the 70’s I don’t remember our church being locked, maybe it was at night.
Mr Schmiedeler:
I hope you meant criminal violence in your comment above. A gun is a tool, with no mind or will of its own. It’s a tool that is often unfortunately used for evil and violent acts against mankind, but it’s a tool nonetheless. There is literally is no such thing as gun violence. That terminology is a fabricated lie created by liberals and the mainstream media to distract from the real problem of criminal violence which is stemming from drugs, human trafficking/exploitation,
gangs, (coming across our wide-open southern border) and our increasingly Godless society. If there were such a thing, we’d have to build prisons and for pistols, rifles and shotguns.
I believe that ushers and sacristans should be trained and armed in the event of a violent act by some crazy criminal during Mass, especially if a bishop is present.
Fr.Bednar is a bit suspect.Why should he object to a prayer that has been in the church for so many years.What is his agenda??!! His background should be looked into….
Fr. Bednar comes with a lot of backstory baggage. Currently a retired priest in residence at a parish in Cleveland, he once penned a book lauding Jesuit theologian William Lynch. If I understand correctly, Lynch believed, controverting scholastic and Church teaching on faith and on imagination, that imagination somehow analogically is akin to faith. America has republished a 1943 Lynch article at http://www.americamagazine.org/voices/william-lynch. Commonweal also has an article lauding Lynch. A synopsis of Bednar’s book can be read at http://www.ebay.com/itm/Faith-as-Imagination-The-Contribut-Bednar-Gerald.
Long and short, Fr. Bednar is likely near his life’s end, after a probable lifetime of having seen modernist dreams of his church wafting away as his own lifeblood waned. Then someone offered him the WSJ venue as a means of renewing an aged and infirm man so blood running cold could flow more freely on imagined faith.
Bednar, Lynch, and the ilk of the faith of such fellows speaks against Church practices which arose long before them and VCII. The praying of this prayer will survive long after our day.
Neither Lynch, Bednar nor any progressive modernist can cite evidence against its efficacy on anything other than imaginary grounds.
See the ancient history, beauty, and validity of the St. Michael Prayer at catholiceducation.org/en/culture/the-prayer-to-st-michael.html
The prayer is ***NOT PART OF THE MASS***. ANY PERSON SUBJECTED TO IT against his will AFTER MASS HAS ENDED IN A CATHOLIC CHURCH IS FREE TO VISIT THE REST ROOM, PLUG IN EARPHONES, OR EXIT THE CHURCH, AND GOOD RIDDANCE.
Good and victorious St. Michael the Archangel, as guardian of nations, we thank you for your protection. We praise and thank God for you.