Dirty Dozen Times Five

San Francisco has limited OUTDOOR Masses to 12 people! One Mad Mom has some choice things to say about the anti-Catholic restrictions.

From One Mad Mom

Archbishop celebrates Mass with 60 while still obeying 12-person COVID limit

San Francisco archbishop Salvatore Cordileone found a creative way to allow dozens of faithful to simultaneously attend Mass on the Aug. 15 Feast of the Assumption.

Mon Aug 17, 2020 – 9:24 pm EST

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

Bravo to the Archbishop! I’m glad he took the opportunity to get more than the preposterous 12-person limit to a public Mass. (Now if only we had more priests join in. Or, maybe, we could sue to get rid of this edict.) I’ve been to many churches in San Francisco. There are a lot more places that can hold 12 people six feet apart. What we’re lacking is priests who are willing.

SAN FRANCISCO, California, August 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — With severe lockdown measures still in place in San Francisco that limit worship services to a dozen people, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone found a creative way to allow dozens of faithful to simultaneously attend Mass on the Aug. 15 Feast of the Assumption.

Quick shout out to peeps at Star of the Sea for coming up with this end run. Now they all just need to squeeze in a bunch more Masses.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco is under a severe lockdown since it was placed on a “watchlist.” Although churches opened for indoor masses in mid-June with restrictions, they have since closed. With the new lockdown measures, only outdoor Masses of 12 people or fewer are permitted.

However, Cordileone, the archbishop of San Francisco, recognized the importance in allowing the faithful to physically participate at the Mass. Therefore, on the Feast of the Assumption, he and four other priests celebrated five different Masses, all said at the same time, on the plaza of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.

I pray that Mary will strengthen their resolve to provide for the faithful.

In a video released on the same day, Abp. Cordileone said, “As Catholics, we have a sacramental vision of the world, and we see the church building as not just a practical matter of convenience, to be able to be inside and protected from the elements. The Church has a sacramental significance.”

“It symbolizes the Church that is the people of God,” he continued. “As St. Peter says, ‘Built up of living stones.’ It is the essence of the Church that we gather for worship.”

YES! I would even stand in the rain for Mass, and as it so happens, we actually did have some Midwestern weather in California this week. Went from simply blazing hot to blazing hot with thunderstorms, and our priests (or at least at my parish) were still out there in it, and so was I. We’re doing everything possible to make it work. Watching Mass on TV just wasn’t cutting it.

“There’s plenty of room [on the plaza] to have multiple Masses at the same time. The thought came to my mind because I envisioned many people on the plaza. Even if they cannot be at the same Mass worshiping together, they can worship together in smaller groups.”

I’m waiting for the city to waltz in and say, “Not good enough! You’re not allowed to see more than 12 people at the same time! Never mind the parks, stores, restaurants, etc. Covid is somehow attracted to Catholics who can see more than 12 people. Sure, we’re going to bring all the homeless indoors and bribe them to stay there with drugs and alcohol, but you Catholics are heartless and just want to kill everyone.” That’s about how insane it’s gotten.

Given the pandemic and lockdown, Abp. Cordileone explained that it is more crucial than ever to witness to the Faith. “This is a way we can publicly manifest our faith and give expression to our faith in greater numbers so the world can be reminded of the importance of the centrality of God to our society.”

“Whenever a society or a nation turns its back on God or denies God, it always begins to corrupt and eventually fall apart. So we need to reclaim God at the center of our society.”

Amen! Secularized America is downright ugly. People are beating each other senseless, literally, with the lack of God. The people who think God is somehow oppressive, you ain’t seen how oppressive a godless society is. USSR or China ring a bell? Hate, murder, paranoia, and kill or be killed are what you get.

EWTN reporter Raymond Arroyo tweeted his encouragement of Abp. Cordileone while also pointing out the severity of the restrictions.

“How sad and outrageous that Sunday worship is restricted to 12 participants in San Francisco.  With an outdoor plaza like the Cathedral in SF, hundreds could attend,” he wrote. “Good on Arch. Cordileone for getting creative.”

Again, props to Star of the Sea for starting this effort.

Abp. Cordileone likewise addressed the treatment of churches in the lockdown: “… the health orders in certain parts of the state including here in San Francisco are being unequally applied — certain types of activities, especially religious activities, being more greatly restricted than other types of secular activities.”

EXACTLY! I’ve given examples in previous blog posts. Why is it you can go to a park with hundreds as long as you all stay in your crop circle but you can’t go to Mass, not even one that’s outdoors? Archbishop Cordileone goes on to show the hypocrisy of indoor activities.

“We’ve seen this elsewhere as well,” he continued. “We’ve seen it in Nevada, where casinos are allowed to operate and churches cannot still have indoor services. … This is just one example of what happens when we remove God from the center of our society.”

“But Archbishop, surely the casinos and “Pride” festivities will save the moral fabric of our country and keep people from beating the snot out of each other far more than Christianity ever would!” Doesn’t that sound like a thought that would roll off of their tongues?