Posted on 05/28/2020 7:35:00 AM PDT by ebb tide
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 27, 2020 / 12:00 pm MT (CNA).- This story is developing and has been updated.
An executive order issued Tuesday in Maryland’s Howard County outlines public health rules under which churches may reopen. The order prohibits the distribution and consumption of any food or drink as part of any religious service, effectively outlawing the distribution of Communion and the celebration of the Mass.
Howard County Executive Order #2020-09 outlines the conditions and regulations that must be met for non-essential businesses--which in Maryland includes churches and other houses of worship--to resume operations. The order was released by Howard County Executive Calvin Ball.
“There shall be no consumption of food or beverage of any kind before, during, or after religious services, including food or beverage that would typically be consumed as part of a religious service,” the order says in a section delineating norms and restrictions on religious services.
The consumption of the consecrated species at Mass, at least by the celebrant, is an integral part of the Eucharistic rite. Rules prohibiting even the celebrating priest from receiving the Eucharist would ban the licit celebration of Mass by any priest.
CNA asked the Howard County public affairs office to comment on how the rule aligns with First Amendment religious freedom and free exercise rights.
Howard County spokesman Scott Peterson told CNA in a statement that "Howard County has not fully implemented Phase 1 of Reopening. We continue to do an incremental rollout based on health and safety guidelines, analysis of data and metrics specific to Howard County and in consultation with our local Health Department."
"With this said," Peterson added, "we continue to get stakeholder feedback in order to fully reopen to Phase 1."
The executive order also limits attendance at indoor worship spaces to 10 people or fewer, limits outdoor services to 250 socially-distanced people wearing masks, forbids the passing of collection plates, and bans handshakes and physical contact between worshippers.
In contrast to the 10-person limit for churches, establishments listed in the order that do not host religious services are permitted to operate at 50% capacity.
The order also states that “singing is permitted, but not recommended,” and that only the person leading the service or a choir may sing. Those who are singing without masks should, per the order, “maintain a 12-foot distance from other persons, including religious leaders, other singers, or the congregation.”
The sixth chapter of St. John's Gospel contains the well-known “Bread of Life” discourse, in which Jesus teaches at a Capernum synagogue that “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”
Catholics believe that teaching constitutes part of Christ's revelation of the Eucharist.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore, whose territory includes Howard County, did not respond to requests for comment on the Howard County executive order by the time of posting.
The archdiocese announced its own phased reopening plans on Tuesday. While some of the policies outlined in the archdiocese’s plans are in line with Executive Order 2020-09, there is no prohibition on the distribution of food or beverages before, after, or during Mass.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore's reopening plans require that communicants observe social distancing while in line for communion, and is discouraging reception on the tongue--but the archdiocese has not instructed parishes to place any other restrictions on the reception of communion, apart from ordinary canonical norms.
In Phase I of the archdiocese’s reopening plan, churches will be open for private prayer, but Mass will still be celebrated without a congregation. In Phase II, which is expected to begin in some areas the weekend of May 30-31, churches may open to socially-distanced congregations up to one-third of the seating capacity, if local public restrictions permit the attendance of more than 10 people at Mass.
The Department of Justice has recently issued a number of letters concerning cases of state and local public health orders which affect churches and houses of worship. In the last week, the department sent letters to the governors of California and Nevada, emphasizing the need to respect religious freedoms while working to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
“Simply put, there is no pandemic exception to the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights,” Eric S. Dreiband, head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, said in a May 19 letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The DOJ has also filed statements of interest in cases involving conflicts between churches and local authorities, including a lawsuit against the Mayor of Greenville, Mississippi, after members of the Temple Baptist Church were fined $500 for attending a service in their cars in the church's parking lot. The mayor later rescinded the fines and amended the city’s stay at home order.
In contrast to the 10-person limit for churches, establishments listed in the order that do not host religious services are permitted to operate at 50% capacity.
Ping
But it’s cool for a bartender to hand a drunk a beer.
Got it.
Defy this illegal and unconstitutional order.
Demand to be arrested and charged.
L
There is no science to such a ban.
It is like saying to restaurants - you can open for sit down services, but you can’t serve food, you might pass a virus between server and customer.
But ABORTION is OK!!!
ALL DEMOCRATS ARE VILE EVIL VICIOUS LYING DESTROYERS OF GOOD PEOPLE AND GOOD THINGS!
I would like to order 1 Holy Eucharist togo please.
What bans have been made and enforced in mosques, or do “we” allow them to decide how much social distancing and masks are necessary?
Any bishop, priest, or Mass celebrant that supports this, in that County or statewide or ANYWHERE, is contemptible. There is no valid Mass without consecration or previously consecrated hosts.
Fellow Christians and Catholics, our persecution has begun. Well actually it started long before in media and politics, but steamrolled with the virus scam.
I pray for a sign to Democrat voters, not only that they see the light but for selfish reasons, that the violence surely coming is prevented. CS Lewis said God’s intervention is when “the playright walks out on stage, you know the play is done.
Do we really want an end to our known universe when he steps in?” But please God, just a sign. Like Pelosi speaks and spiders and worms come out of her mouth.
What happened to their dogma of separation of church and state? </semi sarc>
Simple solution..... Church-goers can bring their own Eucharist and have the clergy bless it. The church-goer can then eat the Eucharist themselves. The clergy does not have to touch the Eucharist and Church-goers can participate in full church services.
The 1st Amendment, religious freedom, and the Constitution.
Don’t apply during Flu Season.
I’m Baptist and don’t agree with the Catholic view of the Eucharist. But....is there any doubt that Democrats are owned by those who hate God? Or, more specifically, the God of the Bible?
All of us need to fight back against this oppressive government!
“Simple solution..... Church-goers can bring their own Eucharist and have the clergy bless it.”
No. NO! For 2000 years Christians have been obeying the command of Jesus Christ: “Do this in remembrance of me”! And NO GOVERNMENT has the right to interfere!
I’m not Catholic. But I’m a Baptist who understand freedom of religion, and that my freedom depends on others having freedom too!
Has ANYONE died ANYWHERE from catching a virus while taking communion? And has ANYONE been forced against their will to go to church and take communion? I don’t think so!
The party that enjoys the deaths of a million babies a year wants to stamp out any opposition by banning a practice that hasn’t killed ANYONE.
"....or the free exercise thereof...."!!!!
“Simple solution..... Church-goers can bring their own Eucharist and have the clergy bless it. The church-goer can then eat the Eucharist themselves. The clergy does not have to touch the Eucharist and Church-goers can participate in full church services.”
How about we have the Gov rewrite and approve all religious materials as well? Bible/ Torah/ Koran/ etc.
‘cuz Corona?
OR.. the GOV can just go back to following the Constitution and STAY out of “approving” religious ceremonies?
Unconstitutional, illegal and the board should be tarred and feathered out of office.
If they want to recommend the Eucharist not be given that’s fine. If a church decides not to do it, that’s fine.
Ordering the church how to practice their faith is not. Our rights do not cease to exist because of the flu.
This is a corrupt and tyrannical government and must be overthrown.
There are scoff-laws here and everywhere, but the mosque (and Hindu temple) attendees around here are distancing and wearing masks - or say the are.
Right, but our social policy Nazis leave them alone.
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