Safety and Reverence: How Roman Catholic Liturgy can Respond to the COVID-19 pandemic
28 Pages Posted: 23 Nov 2020 Last revised: 25 May 2021
Date Written: September 21, 2020
Abstract
The current COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge for many religious denominations. The Roman Catholic Church strongly depends on physical communal worship and sacraments. Disagreements grow concerning the best balance between safety and piety. To address this issue, I review the major transmission risks for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and list certain measures to enhance the safety of the Roman Catholic Liturgy without compromising its intrinsic beauty and reverent spiritual attitude. I emphasize that religious leadership and decision-making should be transparent and base on inclusiveness, pluralism, best scientific evidence and voluntary cooperation.
Keywords: COVID-2019, SARS-CoV-2, airborne transmission, sacraments, Mass
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