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CATHOLICISM in the Time of CORONAVIRUS

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CATHOLICISM in the Time of CORONAVIRUS CATHOLICISM in the time of CORONAVIRUS STEPHEN BULLIVANT Word on Fire, Park Ridge, IL 60068 © 2020 by Word on Fire Catholic Ministries All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-943243-63-1 Stephen Bullivant, 1984– www.wordonfire.org For David Sanders, OP Our brethren who are freed from this world by the Lord’s summons are not to be lamented, since we know that they are not lost, but sent before; that, departing from us, they precede us as travellers, as navigators are accustomed to do; that they should be desired, but not bewailed; that the black garments should not be taken upon us here, when they have already taken upon them the white raiment there. –St. Cyprian of Carthage TABLE OF Contents FOREWORD i by Bishop Robert Barron PREFACE vii CHAPTER ONE 1 Everything Is Tears CHAPTER TWO 14 Facts Without Fear CHAPTER THREE 30 No Bodiless Phantom CHAPTER FOUR 50 The Prayers of the Church AFTERWORD 65 “One Step Enough for Me” APPENDIX 68 Urbi et Orbi Message by Pope Francis NOTES 77 FOREWORD The COVID-19 pandemic has been, for countless people around the world, a great and unexpected trial. At the time of this writing, over two million cases of coronavirus have been confirmed world- wide (with America comprising over a quarter of that number), and over one hundred thousand people have died. Shopping malls, movie theaters, restaurants, school campuses, sports stadiums, and airports are all emptying out, countless people are self-quarantining in their homes, and the economy is showing signs of serious distress. What seemed just a short time ago a fairly stable state of affairs, medically, politically, and economically, has been turned upside down—and we will likely be dealing with the virus and its impacts for months to come. In the midst of this crisis, Catholics have faced another trial, one that is not only economic, social, or medical, but spiritual. Catholic dioceses throughout the United States and around the world i have suspended public Masses, restricted access to Confession, and postponed Confirmations and other sacramental celebrations. Meanwhile, many priests and lay ministers have put their own safety on the line in ministering to those affected by the dangerous pathogen. Over one hundred priests have died in Italy, which has been one of the hardest-hit countries in Europe. And who can forget the haunting image of Pope Francis walking through an empty and silent St. Peter’s Square to deliver his extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing? (You can read the Pope’s reflection in the Appendix to this book.) Plunged into the darkness of uncer- tainty, illness, and death, and separated from the life-giving power of the sacraments and the support of their parish communities, Catholics are feeling, understandably enough, quite disheartened. Yet this might also be a time of great spiritual opportunity and transformation. In the first place, the coronavirus—like many tragedies before it— has forced us to confront a general truth about the nature of things, a truth that we all know in our ii bones but that we choose, typically, to cover-up or overlook: the radical contingency of the world. This means, to state it simply, that everything in our experience is unstable; it comes into being and it passes out of being. And though we habitually divert ourselves from accepting it, this contingency principle applies to each of us. Whenever we get really sick, or a good friend dies, or a strange new virus threatens the general population, this truth manages to break through our defenses. When we are shaken, we seek by a very healthy instinct for that which is ultimately stable, and for that ultimate cause that is not itself contingent—namely, God. The coronavirus has also provided countless people in quarantine with an invitation to some monastic introspection, some serious confrontation with the questions that matter. Blaise Pascal said that all of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone, and this observation has come to my mind a good deal as our entire country has gone into shutdown mode. Suddenly, people are finding themselves with plenty iii of time to get out their Bible and read it slowly, prayerfully; to pick up a spiritual classic like St. Augustine’s Confessions or Thomas Merton’s Seven Storey Mountain; and to use the solitude and silence as an occasion for prayer. There are new opportu- nities to take in the beauty of God’s creation, or to practice concrete works of mercy, love, and solidar- ity, especially for those suffering the effects of the coronavirus. Finally, this crisis has accentuated the power of the new media for evangelization and building up the kingdom of God as perhaps never before. The suspending of Masses and closing of churches is a very serious blow to our incarnational faith, and both priests and laity are feeling the heartache of it. We will, and we must, return to the sacra- ments. But the Church is not shut down, because the Church is the Mystical Body of Jesus. And as I heard a bishop remark recently, by the providence of God, we still have these extraordinary media tools to connect the Church. We at Word on Fire are offering daily Mass online, as are countless iv other ministries and churches, and there has been a dramatic rise in virtual rosaries, retreats, and Eucharistic Adoration. This digital outreach is also offering non-Catholics a unique opportunity to see and experience the Catholic faith online. During one of our Masses, one commenter on YouTube remarked that this was his first time seeing a Mass. Who can say what good might come of this har- nessing of digital media to spread and practice the faith—not only in the present but in the years to come? Yet the practical questions remain. The laity and clergy alike are wondering not only about the long- term impact of the crisis on our own spiritual lives, but on the Church’s institutions and its mission of evangelization. This insightful and encouraging book from Dr. Stephen Bullivant, a former Oxford researcher, expert in Catholic disaffiliation, and Fellow of the Word on Fire Institute, is intended to explore pre- cisely these questions. Looking at the coronavirus v pandemic from the historical and sociological as well as ecclesial perspective, and weaving in his own personal reflections as a convert to the faith and a Catholic husband and father, Dr. Bullivant sheds light on the spiritual implications of the coro- navirus, offering Catholics a unique roadmap for this challenging time. The Church finds itself once again in rough waters. Down the ages, across space and time, the barque of Peter has been beset by similar storms, as Dr. Bullivant shows here. But our hope is not finally in the comfort and security of this passing world. Our hope is in Jesus Christ—the Christ who died for us, and by dying, destroyed our death. This Christ is alive; he guides the Church and is present to it even now. He is sending each one of us, in our own way, on mission—even now, even during this crisis. If we look around at the waves, we will sink. But if we keep our eyes fixed on him, we will walk on the water. –Bishop Robert Barron vi PREFACE I hope this book is less strange to read than it was to write. The whole process, from pitch to preface (always written last), happened over the space of twelve days: Monday, March 30, to Friday, April 10, 2020. It is therefore, and deliberately so, of and for a very particular moment, one indeed very aptly likened—as Pope Francis did in his Urbi et Orbi blessing, which we are grateful to the Holy See for allowing us to include in the Appendix of this edition—to a storm at sea. As coherently as I’m able in my seasick state, I’ve tried to collect some structured thoughts about the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath, and their likely impacts upon the Church’s pastoral and evangelistic mission. I’m focusing especially on the Catholic Church in the US and UK. That said, I hope much of it will resonate beyond these ec- clesial and geographical contexts. This is a short and (hopefully) readable work, blending sociology, vii theology, spirituality, and Church history. To quote the informal motto of the research center I have the privilege of directing at St. Mary’s University, London, my general aim here has been “academ- ically rigorous and pastorally useful,” with a par- ticular emphasis on the latter virtue. Far more so than I planned when I started writing, it is also very much of a personal work—and I trust all the better for it. I must thank here my wife, Joanna, who has as ever “done everything well” (Mark 7:37) in even-more-trying-than-usual conditions; our three bonus houseguests, who have daily demonstrated the wisdom of Hebrews 13:2; Dr. Shaun Blanchard, Fr. Hugh Somerville Knapman, OSB, Dr. Luke Arredondo, and (again) Dr. Joanna Bullivant for incisive commenting on drafts; and all at Word on Fire, especially Brandon Vogt and Jared Zimmerer, for their enthusiasm and all around excellence. It’s a great honor to have my words graced with a Foreword by Bishop Barron, albeit of the “daunt- ingly tough act to follow” kind. viii I’d like to thank my three children who, despite being off school for the duration, heroically and self-sacrificingly created a calm and quiet envi- ronment in which to write.
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