The ‘Drive Confession:’ The Care of Souls in a Pandemic

Daniela Tarantino is Lecturer at the University of Genoa, Italy

«These are almost unprecedented times in the longhistory of the Church. Future generations will look upon this time as the long one Lent of 2020». With these words begins the message that the president of the American Bishops’ Conference, Josè Gomez, addressed to all faithful at the beginning of the Easter triduum by announcing for GoodFriday, a day of national prayer to put an end to thepandemic caused by Covid- 19. «This Holy Week will be different. Our churchesmay be closed – concluded Gomez – but Christ isnot quarantined and his Gospel is not in chains.Even if we cannot celebrate together, each of uscan seek God in the tabernacles of our hearts» [1].

In fact, the current pandemic state limits severely gatherings and participation in liturgies and sacramentals. The Catholic Church has worked to find ways and times to answer to the Covid-19 emergency. In order to pursue the salus animarum– according to the “signs of the times” – the forms of exercise of the munera ecclesiae has been adapted, first of all those related to the munus sanctificandi, since they demonstrate the efforts to be close to the people of God, who demands of an ongoing “sociality” m that is wounded by the pandemic [2].

(more…)

Continue Reading The ‘Drive Confession:’ The Care of Souls in a Pandemic

Political Theology and Church Restrictions

Paul Marshal is Wilson Professor of Religious Freedom and Research Professor in Political Science at Baylor University, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, and the Leimena Institute, Jakarta

Perhaps the most contentious religious freedom issue raised in the pandemic has been governmental limits on religious gatherings, and not only in the U.S.

We should not exaggerate the resistance by churches and others. The vast majority of churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples have followed government orders. Many of those that have resisted restrictions are often fringe bodies, commonly with ties to the “prosperity gospel.”

Also, churches have been scapegoated. The New York Times ran an op-ed titled “The Road to Coronavirus Hell Was Paved by Evangelicals,” though later changed to the milder but still tendentious “The Religious Right’s Hostility to Science Is Crippling Our Coronavirus Response.” Later it published “Churches Emerge as Major Source of Coronavirus Cases.” However, the article traced only 650 cases to churches, which was, on July 8, 2020, the day the piece was published, only 0.022% of the 2,923,432 reported cases in the U.S., hardly a “major” source.

(more…)

Continue Reading Political Theology and Church Restrictions

Redeeming Justice

Terri Y. Montague is a certified mediator with earned JD and MTS degrees from Emory University

 

In Christian tradition, Jesus Christ climaxes God’s redemptive love and action. Through Christ, God righteously restores and fulfills human being in and for community. Otherwise, unrighteous humanity tends towards a senseless existence that leaves the church groaning under the burden of a faithless mortality; humanity groaning under the burden of a heartless society; and Nature groaning under the burden of a ruthless humanity. In the logic of “Redeeming Justice,” the present pandemic and justice movements cohere and redemptively work together for good to advance and culminate promised restoration by restoring right relations and just action – in the church, in society, in Creation. This construct helps us to recognize and partner in God’s righteous reign in the world.

(more…)

Continue Reading Redeeming Justice