Masks in The Church Today (Under The Fig Tree Part 34)

A hermit observing the world from his cave

The COVID pandemic has largely passed. It is now an endemic. It will probably be always with us, like the flu. Those of you who are waiting for COVID and variants to be totally eradicated will wait in vain.

The world is still divided, those who advocate the wearing of masks and those who believe it is not of much use. But with the passing of the pandemic, many more governments throughout the world have lifted mask mandates. But there are still those who persist, due to their own agenda.

Now the Catholic Church by and large still mandate masks in churches. In the Philippines, the government has already lifted the mask mandate for those who are outside in the open. But the Church still requires masks when inside the church and when Catholics come together for the Eucharist. Does this make sense? Not at all.

Those family members who dine at home do not wear masks. Those people who go to restaurants do not wear masks when eating, even as they are in a closed confined space with many other people, who when talking and opening their mouths to eat are spreading molecules, which swirl throughout the air. So why wear masks during the Eucharistic celebration? Why eat the body of Christ together with the family of believers while wearing a mask?

The Church now wants Mass attendance to normalize. That will be quite difficult, after three years of closing the churches to the faithful and depriving them of the sacraments. But further, if masks are still required, that is a sign to most people that things have not really normalized, that the threat of infection is still quite large. So why will Catholics go?

Don’t be a hypocrite. If you wear masks inside the Church for the Eucharist, then you should wear masks inside your home during family meals, and when eating at restaurants. Rather, let us honor the Lord by trusting in His divine protection, as we continue to look to Our Lady, Health of the Sick.