Priests and bishops have been flat-footed in the way they have responded to a liturgical lockdown. (Photo: Pixabay)
The whole world is now infected. The coronavirus continues to circle the globe, bringing the usual rhythms of life and commerce to an almost total standstill.
The pandemic caught most countries and their people completely off guard and unprepared. And many are already saying that this global crisis will force all of us to radically rethink many things about the way we live, organize our society, conduct our business, relate to one another. They say things will never be the same as before. We will have to change.
That includes our churches, too. Our faith communities were caught blindsided just as much as any others. And most religious leaders — especially our Catholic priests and bishops — have been flat-footed in the way they have responded to what soon became the liturgical lockdown.