Yes. Just finished watching this and was about to post when I saw that you already did, Padraig. My blood is boiling.
I have to say that I don't agree with all that is stated here. This woman is insisting on her prerogatives under the Bill of Rights and refusing to adhere to the request of a pastor (for sin is not involved). I think his request and the way he went about it was unreasonable; to allow police to enter the church, and for a usher to take a picture of the woman's license; these were abhorrent. (1) I am a deacon in a parish where I am in submission to my pastor. If my pastor asks me to do something against canon law, I will refuse. If my pastor asks me to do something that he believes is for the best (though I have a different opinion), I will obey, then and there, as long as sin is not involved. This is called obedience. I will be sure to subsequently appeal to him afterwards if I feel his request was not for the best. (2) If I'm approached by a parishioner who has health issues and is fearful, I will raise my mask out of consideration for her fears, though I myself personally disagree. This is called charity. (3) If a pastor came up to me in his parish and requested I do something I disagree with, I will ask if this can wait until Holy Mass is over. If he says, "Now please." I will comply and talk to him afterwards for I want him to understand my contrary view. If he insists even then, I won't visit his parish again. Safe in the Barque of Peter!
But she and her husband were aware of what that priest’s bishop had mandated (masks not required but encouraged(?)). And they sat in the very back so as not to offended anyone. I would say that the manner in which it was handled by all the clergy and usher present was definitely not encouraging. She was targeted and made an example of. If that parish’s clergy chose to make their own parish rule on this, then it would seem they—the clergy— were disobeying what their bishop told his diocese with regards to masking at Mass. I don’t know how else to wrap my head around this.
It sounds like the Bishop in that diocese has said masks are optional, but the Priest at the parish says masks are mandatory. Did anyone ask if this woman was exempt from wearing a mask, because some people are exempt. Seems more like a club than a Church. The Best option is enquire if the parish are demanding masks, and avoid them if it is going to cause trouble. I watched the video and it appears the woman is six weeks pregnant. And being told the Church is a business makes a mockery of fulfilling obligations before God. Crazy old world.
Go online and check out beauty shop supplies. You can get disposable face shields, 5 for $10. I say "disposable", because I have been using my second one of five for almost as many months, washing it regularly with a bleach cleaner and then a window cleaner to remove any streaks. My first one blew away in a strong breeze -- not a big issue, because it was only $2. I have never, and I mean NEVER, have had any objections to using this at any store or public place. I no longer have to worry about not getting a good seal around my nose, and I no longer have problems with my glasses fogging up -- a given occurrence with masks.
I think some of the ushers are more like traffic wardens, or little hitlers. Hence I would not take them on. If the Priest and his little cohort of traffic wardens show the slightest sign of acting like the gestapo, I am out of there, it is not the Church I want to be in. Thank God there are choices, so we don't have to have a confrontation. I have told the FSSP Priests I am a refugee coming to their parish because of the restrictions in the run of the mill parish I normally used to attend. Funny how I find myself using the word used to. It has been that long now that I attend the FSSP, over a year as it happens because I often went to FSSP on weekdays when my health was up to it. Otherwise we went to Novus Ordo together, my husband has COPD and has not been to Mass since last February, to avoid catching the plague. I wonder if he will ever attend again. We both watch on line Mass every day. But I definitely would miss being able to attend in person.
I think voting with our feet is so wise. It reminds me of what Jesus said, Matthew 10:14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. My father used to have a saying which has stuck with me. 'Never go where you are not wanted'. This has always stood by me , especially as I get older. So if someone does not like me or is hostile towards me I do my very best to avoid them. There is a lady in work who is very friendly towards me , always smiling and friendly but who was reported me to the bosses on several occasions. Eventually I realised the best thing to do was to avoid her as much as possible and not to enter into any communication. There is a part of the old prayer 'The Deserata', which mentions this. 'Avoid loud and aggressive persons for they are a vexation to the Spirit'. It was still wrong what happened to the lady but I would just shrug my shoulders and move on. Shake the dust from my feet. My shifts require me to go to a Novus Ordo Mass this morning. I will carry my hospital Mass and wear it f they insist. They insist on Communion on the Hand so I concede. There is an old saying in Ireland, 'Your feet are not just for dancing with'. Sometimes we just have to do a bit of nimble dancing to get along. Still it was aggravating and very wrong what happened.
I heard on the news this a.m. that Biden is pushing for vacc passports. If you do not have one you can't go to restaurants, travel, or go to church. I'm finding that hard to believe that businesses and church would give up the money in exchange for a passport. But it will be interesting to see how it plays out. The next step of course after the passport is a chip and mark of the beast. I give this young woman alot of credit. Many people in my church are not wearing the masks anymore, no self distancing either. And attendance has been picking up lately. So, we'll see . . .
I wonder if all this has really anything to do with masks, or Virus, or Social Distancing of Communion on the Tongue or anything at all to do with what it seems in many cases? The way this priest acted towards his poor Spiritual Children appears really spooky to me. So weird and over the top. It does make me wonder.....
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/c...dining-bans-dont-stop-virus-but-media-ignores CDC finds masks, indoor dining bans don’t stop virus, but media ignores The bottom line is, the contagion control taught nothing not known earlier. 'What we really have to rely on is common sense. If you are sick, stay home and isolate. If you are healthy, get some sunshine, cough into your elbow, and most important wash your hands.' March 26, 2021 (HeartlandDailyNews) – Masks and bans on indoor dining do little to stop the spread of COVID-19, according to a new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Infection, and media outlets that covered the findings downplayed the results. According to the CDC report, published March 12 in the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, while mask mandates and indoor restaurant bans did decrease daily cases of COVID-19 and deaths, the results were a correlation and a tiny one at that.
