In the great film, The Agony and the Ecstasy, Rex Harrison’s Pope Julius is continually hounding Charlton Heston’s Michelangelo as he is painting the Sistine Chapel. “When will you make an end?” he booms. “When I am finished!” Michelangelo shoots back. I think back to when the parishioners of Neier were reconstructing my bedroom in my rectory and my life was crammed into one room. It was a pain. Disruption is annoying. We are over a month into lockdown. The last time I celebrated a public Mass was the 16th of March. Patience is wearing thin.
A couple of thoughts as we go on. First of all, despite what you may think, this is working. Can you imagine what our society would be like if we hadn’t taken these measures? One thing is certain, our hospital systems would be shot. Nobody, no matter how goofy you may think, can argue otherwise. This last month, we have saved lives, possibly even our own.
The trouble is, of course, is that we cannot go on like this indefinitely. So the question is, how and when we can start letting up? A couple of principles to keep in mind are in order. First, we cannot just go back to business as usual. That simply does not work now. At Mass, for instance, we will have to forgo, at least in the near future, handshakes for the Sign of Peace. (my suggestion: a nod of the head up and say “sup”) Communion in the hand will be the norm. We will need to keep washing our hands– religiously.
Second principle: we will never achieve 100% compliance with the rules. Some people just don’t get it. Have you been to a grocery story recently? 98% of the people are following the guidelines, wearing masks, staying at least six feet away. Some people, on the other hand, make you wonder if they even know what is going on in the world over the past two months. They are oblivious.
Finally, the world will never be a completely safe place. You cannot quarantine a society forever. We will have to find a middle ground. You do that by listening to the science (but even that is somewhat fuzzy right now), making good decisions with other people in mind and then trying to live out your life as well as possible.
Will we get there? Yes. When? Ask Michelangelo.
Father Kevin