Attending Catholic Mass Remotely
Since the start of the COVID-19 shut down in Arizona, the Catholic Bishop, Thomas Olmsted, has worked very closely with government authorities to align Church practice with State guidance.
During the lock-down period, public Catholic Mass has been suspended. Catholic Mass services have been streaming on various media. In particular, a 9:00 am mass is celebrated every Sunday, by the Bishop, on TV’s Channel 7. Prior to the Mass, the bishop offers words about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has affected the faithful and what the Church can do to help. During the Mass, the Bishop’s homily relates the readings of the day’s service to the current situation. During the distribution of communion, a prayer is displayed on the screen for the folks worshipping remotely. All of this is carefully scripted to fit with the pandemic.
Now, some of the parishes are offering Holy Communion in their parking lots, which is being distributed after the parish has streamed their Mass on youtube.com or other social media.
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Jewish Worship
Since the coronavirus quarantine began in earnest, attendance at still open synagogues has trickled from hundreds to barely a minyan of 10. I spoke recently with my Orthodox Rabbi friend for the better part of an hour about the successful use of streaming of Sabbath services to reach those who are isolating. It turns out that we were of two minds. Me in favor; he opposed. Let me see if I can lay out his case because mine is more in line with most people’s thinking.
Many synagogues are now streaming services to their congregants over the Internet. Reform (liberal) Jews welcome the technology, allowing affiliated and non-affiliated a chance to partake in the service which brings healing to some and comfort to others. Yet the Hasidic (Orthodox) community is strongly opposed to streaming services based on Sabbath prohibitions.
” Streaming services is intrusive and disruptive on the Shabbat”. The Orthodox interpret Judaism’s prohibition on working or creating on the Sabbath as prohibiting the turning on of electricity and electronics – flicking a light switch, heating up the oven or driving a car. ” The fear is that technology can present a threat to this sacred commandment. The sight on Sabbath of a cellphone, tablet or a flashing screen is highly disturbing”.
But the digital revolution is chipping away at this millennia-old barrier. While Orthodox Jewish leaders are unanimously opposed to turning on any device during the Sabbath, reports are being shared that large numbers of young Orthodox send text messages – seeing it as socializing, not work.
Since Jewish law bans writing on the Sabbath, the digital recording of pixels is similar to writing. This also extends to typing a search term into an iPad that holds scripture you are using to pray. ” it’s the same as writing which is work”.
Their concern is Jewish law and how to interpret the ancient detailed 39 categories of forbidden Sabbath work in our new wired world. “Orthodox Jews are wary of messing with the walls that have protected the Sabbath”.
In recent years, there have been digital translations of the Talmud, revolutionizing prayer for Orthodox Jews who need access to the Talmud’s 30-plus volumes. ” Using electronic devices for non-Sabbath daily prayer is becoming so standard that sometimes people absentmindedly kiss their iPhones after praying — a ritual normally done with books”.
The dichotomy faced by the 3 major branches of the Jewish movement has been to attempt to slow the loss of affiliated members by luring back a younger Jewish populace using technology to reach more people. The Orthodoxy are vehemently opposed to altering Sabbath laws through use of electronic transmission and strongly believe that their branch of Judaism represents the one true religion that will survive while all others lose their identity through assimilation.
Most of you reading this narrative will tend to favor technology advances, as I do, to retain and attract the worshipful but I do understand those that support keeping changes to a minimum so as not to subvert the one true religion that has seen Judaism through crises after crises, more recently the Holocaust and the rise of antisemitism throughout the world.
While not an exact parallel, surviving major change is somewhat similar to what the Catholic Church had to overcome when moving from the traditional Latin service to the local language after the Second Vatican Council under Pope John XXIII to hold onto its own adherents. One of my closest Catholic friends told me how he made attending Mass in front of his TV work for him, at least until it is safe to return to a community service.
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