…. ironic, much?
The background image is that of a “pest doctor” or “plague doctor”. Pest, refers especially to Bubonic Plague. The mask with the long beak-like nose contained herbs that cut down the smell of mortality and also were thought to stave off contagion. This role and costume developed mostly in the 17th c. in Italy. They especially gave advice, including legal advice, to the dying. There wasn’t much they could do for them medically except, you know, the usual blood-letting and always helpful leeches.
I picked up the meme from Twitter. Not sure about the origin, but it is dead on.
Perhaps it will go viral?
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Perhaps it will go viral?
I see what you did there.
“go Viral?” I saw what you did there… ;D
Maybe we should start up the old Processions in tempore mortalitais et pestis.
I’m planning one in the coming weeks for my little parish and carrying the relics we have of St Sebastian around the neighborhood. We just need a bit of practice and preparations first, and since we don’t have many cases nearby, its more preventative than immediately necessary. But, in my view, this is how Catholics respond to pandemics. Go out into the fresh air and repent!
Why don’t bishops and priests do this instead of just issue practical regulations which aren’t so practical? Sadly, they don’t believe, like the prayers of that procession suggest that these plagues are punishments for sin, or if they do, they think that we’re in some idyllic world where we’ve eradicated sin, by inoculating the faithful with tranquilizers.
Maybe if we priests do our part, we can make this anti-viral procession go viral.
We live in a materialistic world, that is one for whom only things that can be seen and measured count and only has faith in its ability to control the material world. This materialism has unfortunately infected the Church to the point that we feel we are in control and we pay lip service to our need for God in these situations. It boils down to lack of Faith.
Has anyone connected the dots that the Pope delivers the Catholic Chinese church to the communists and within a year COVID-19 comes out of China?
I fear more for the lost souls in healthy bodies than for my catching the virus, or any chaos from it.
That said, I do need my strength to get the TLM at our Parrish.
There is good information about controlling the spread of the virus at the WHO, CDC, and NIH websites. Everyone needs to do their part to control it.
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My local Ordinary did have guidelines sent out to parishes due to the Corona virus.
However, doesn’t anyone realize that there have been many more deaths this winter (at least in the United States) due to flu than the Corona virus?
hwriggles4: Right, according to CDC estimates there have been 34-49 million cases of flu and 20-52 thousand deaths this season- about one death for every thousand cases. Estimates for Coronavirus are 1-3 deaths per hundred. So that’s a difference worth noting, but it is not The Plague.
Though, the higher numbers of Coronavirus, depending on the local situation, can stress hospital staff and first responders. In the U.S. some states, cities, universities, companies and sport associations are deciding to temporarily close workplaces, schools and public events, others choose not to but may soon. There is some reasonable room to maneuver here both with policy and rhetoric.
Additionally, note the reactions of the Chinese government (e.g. widespread quarantines) compared to seasonal flu. There is also economic impact from Coronavirus: from loss of several paychecks due to quarantine (no small thing for many people), lost productivity, and various countries and companies reducing their reliance on China for production of, say, pharmaceuticals.
Speaking of China here’s something interesting, from Nikkei Asian Review on Feb. 28:
Coronavirus-fighting tech is strengthening China’s mass surveillance
https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Coronavirus-fighting-tech-is-strengthening-China-s-mass-surveillance
Here’s something else worth keeping an eye on, a development out of Iran:
http://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13981213000410
Meanwhile, in Bulgaria, a flu epidemic has been declared. Some hasty commenters elsewhere have opined that Bulgaria is under the influence of a Coronavirus Panic. Well, not really:
“Bulgaria declared a nationwide influenza epidemic, closing schools and banning planned surgeries from Friday as the country—so far spared any novel coronavirus infections—grapples with a rise in flu cases.
“Members of the national task force set up to address the new coronavirus warned hospitals were already full of flu patients, potentially jeopardising preparedness to respond to an expected virus arrival and spread.
“Doctors in the EU’s poorest member say the country of 7 million people has seen an unusual rapid spread of type B flu.
“”Such rapid growth of type B flu has not happened in Bulgaria for the past ten years,” said Todor Kantardzhiev, director of the national centre for contagious diseases.”
https://m.medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-bulgaria-schools-nationwide-flu-epidemic.html
If Bulgaria wants to lean forward and try to get a handle on things that way, good for them. No need to insult the Bulgarians as being gripped by “Panic.”
Other commenters elsewhere have scoffed at and mocked those who have sojourned to their nearest big-box store and stocked up. I say: Good for the shoppers, shop earlier rather than in a possible rush later. Also, those supplies if unused in the near future will be available for any natural- or man-made disasters down the road. Sure, there’s some YouTube videos of rough-housing in the Costco over toilet paper and canned food, but it’s a reasonable assumption that most people went to various stores across the fruited plain, made their purchases, and returned home without engaging in fisticuffs.
The worse plague is panic. The bishops are leading the way. Closing churches, stopping Masses and removing sacramentals, I’m sure the evil one loves the bishops. Fools.
Do you suppose that they will suggest that we should skip the feet washing on Holy Thursday?
…So I arrive at my parish church (Holy Cross in Champaign, IL) to find that by order of Bishop Jenky (D. of Peoria) all of the stoups emptied and covered by purple cloths. The IMMEDIATE first thing that came to mind was that misguided liturgical practice of a few years ago of putting sand in them. Except that was going to be just during Lent. By this (misguided) reasoning we are threatened with the deprivation of a central sacramental indefinitely! Maybe for more than a year! And, as mentioned above, COVID-19 is so much less significant than influenza. And they all pale into near insignificance compared to the plague of abortion.
Oh, and I heard on EWTN radio that they’re doing the same thing in Rome.
Kent Wendler wrote:
1. “By this (misguided) reasoning we are threatened with the deprivation of a central sacramental indefinitely!”
Not really. See the 2 March post: “ASK FATHER: Can a bishop order Holy Water removed from churches?”
One suggestion: “Parishes usually have large Holy Water containers from which people can fill bottles. I can see people bringing their own bottles and using the Holy Water in them not only as they enter church but then at home as well.”
And: “For a couple of years now, I have blessed Epiphany Water at the parish. The pastor has a kind of assembly line organized to fill small bottles he purchased in quantity. He distributes these bottles of Epiphany Water. Perhaps something like that might be organized.”
Improvise, adapt, overcome.
2. “And, as mentioned above, COVID-19 is so much less significant than influenza.”
Here we will agree to disagree.
Mr. Wendler, fellow Holy Cross parishioner here. I was at school Mass Friday morning and noticed the holy water fonts covered. This is NOT by order of the bishop (I went home and read the letter) and St. Matthew’s (where my family fulfilled our Sunday obligation today) is not doing it.