If you have been following the ecclesiastical shelter-in-place wars, then you know that the most interesting stories — in terms of journalism and debates in the public square — as moved on to debates about safe worship that includes social-distancing principles.
Evangelicals and other low-church Protestants have a distinct advantage here, with their emphasis on preaching and small-ensemble praise music. It’s harder to distribute Holy Communion from a distance, even if worshipers in liturgical churches are six feet or more apart while sitting in their pews.
Some state and local officials seem to be struggling with these coronavirus issues. This is also true of for journalists, who really need to be listening to shepherds in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran churches. It may even be possible to interview them.
In a recent “On Religion” column, I noted these interesting remarks by a high-profile archbishop:
New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, in an online essay, stressed that whenever Catholic priests approach their altars the saints and "all God's people" are spiritually present. He also praised clergy who have found ways to carry on with their work – while following social-distancing guidelines.
"Our parish priests have risen to the occasion, with innovative ways to distribute Holy Communion, expose the Blessed Sacrament for adoration, hear confessions and anoint and visit the sick," noted Dolan. "They assemble at graveside to bury our dead. Our courageous chaplains in hospitals and nursing homes are on the front lines."
I bring this up because of a recent story in my local paper, The Knoxville News Sentinel, that ran with this headline: “Are church services allowed Sunday in Knoxville? Yes, but it's not encouraged.” It described a rather typical conflict between a rather lenient state governor and strict local officials — strict to the point of potential First Amendment clashes.
The problem? Some of the most shocking details were buried — quite literally — at the end of this story. Hold that thought. First, here is the overture:
There is nothing stopping worshipers from congregating for services, but no official is recommending churches, synagogues and mosques throw open their doors right away.
In Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order No. 30 … he “strongly encouraged” that places of worship opt for online services. But, he wrote that “nothing in this order mandates closure of places of worship, or prohibits weddings or funerals as a matter of law.”
“It’s important to remember and know that church services have never been closed, even through the first level of executive order," Lee said … during a news conference. "First Amendment rights are incredibly important."
Lee aimed his words straight at local officials.
Why? Well, the story then noted that:
… The Knox County Health Department released Phase 1 guidelines for the reopening of certain establishments that had been closed or had operations altered due to the coronavirus pandemic. The county included places of worship in Phase 1 and outlined several regulations that churches would need to follow if they held onsite services during Phase 1, which began Friday and will continue for at least 28 days.
All religious groups would be affected by this tension between state and local governments, of course. But I would argue that some would be affected more than others.
Later in the story, for example, there is this:
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville aims to resume public Masses at its parishes on May 30-31.
“I understand how much our parishioners want to return to their churches, see their priests, and once again have a personal connection with the sacraments. However, there are steps we need to take to ensure that we can do this safely,” Bishop Richard Stika said in a news release.
Why settle for a press-release quote? This is a case in which it would be really important to talk to the local bishop and the priests and laypeople to whom he is listening.
Why? Because it seems pretty obvious that their local officials, if given a chance, plan to highly regulate liturgical churches, even those that are striving to find ways — as Cardinal Dolan said — to return to sacramental worship with safety in mind.
The bottom line: There are some stunning potential headlines buried at the end of this piece. See if you can spot them in this list of bullet items:
The county’s Phase 1 guidelines, made moot by Lee’s order, required that seating at onsite services by limited to 50% capacity. Among other requirements:
* Ministers and parishioners would be required to wear face coverings.
* Only core services would be permitted. Groups, classes and social activities like potlucks would not be allowed.
* Communion should not be performed.
* Seating should be aligned to ensure 6 feet of physical distancing in all directions between households.
* Singing is discouraged, as it is thought to spread the virus more than talking.
* Communal items like Bibles, hymnals and tithe plates should be removed.
* Hugs and handshake greetings should not occur.
* Deep cleaning should occur between services.
The reference to a near ban on singing is certainly interesting, and I say that as an Eastern Orthodox choir member. I would say that 75-80% or a Divine Liturgy in our parish consists of music, of one form or another.
But the headline that got buried? It’s right here: “Communion should not be performed.”
Apparently, consumers can head to a local casual dining establishment and have someone hand them a beer in a frosty glass, perhaps with nachos, but there is no way for priests to safely and cautiously (in a mask) distribute Holy Communion?
Yes, the governor’s order trumped the local rules. But that doesn’t mean the stance of local officials wasn’t news, here in a region in which churches all kinds seem to be located at every other street corner.
Someone, somewhere, is going to run into one of these sacred-secular collisions that is worthy of a trip to the U.S. Supreme Court.