The Church Obedient, by Emily Finley

Statement by CV President on Trump Visit to JPII Shrine (and Trump’s Executive Order)
June 3, 2020
It’s An Issue, by Phil Lawler
June 3, 2020

By Emily Finley, Crisis Magazine, June 3, 2020

Emily Finley holds a Ph.D in Politics from The Catholic University of America and is currently a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University. She is the managing editor of Humanitas, an academic journal of politics and culture, published by the Center for the Study of Statesmanship.

 

Emily Finley

It was not the head of the Catholic Church who finally condemned the tyrannical decrees of various state governors that churches are to be “nonessential,” while marijuana dispensaries, liquor stores, and abortuaries can remain open. It was President Donald Trump. He said that he is “correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential.”

In earlier times, the Church willingly submitting to state decrees in gross violation of its freedom to practice the faith would have been a scandal of epic proportions. A public outcry, beginning at the top, would have ensued, and a contingency of priests no doubt would have gone into the catacombs to continue uninterrupted the 2,000-year-old celebration of the Mass with the faithful.

Now, with a few noteworthy exceptions, the Church has accepted its shameful public demotion and “nonessential” status. Incredibly, Pope Francis urged “obedience” to civil protocol after Italian bishops complained about the continued closure of churches while other businesses were permitted to reopen.   …

Read more here:   crisismagazine.com/2020/the-church-obedient