Letters: closing churches is ‘first step’ in taking away our freedoms

I am seriously concerned about the discrimination by the B.C. government against religion and believe the Archdiocese of Vancouver should consider a lawsuit.

Livestreaming and receiving Holy Communion in your car are not reverent means to show love for Christ our King. We need our churches open and the sacraments offered as is our right. The rights of religion are guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and we have proven that our churches are very safe and can keep our parishioners healthy.

The government’s taking away of our religious rights is the first step in taking away our democratic rights and freedoms. We need to stand up now and not wait for the government to return them. I don’t believe they ever will. We are called the Church Militant for a reason.

Lisa Lewko
Delta

The COVID pandemic is a horrific assault on our human condition. It has taken the lives of more than a million people. It does not discriminate on who will be its victims, but has taken a major toll on our elderly and immune-compromised brothers and sisters in Christ.

We must ensure we do all possible in following the guidance of our health authorities to minimize the impact this pandemic has on our person and our communities. In time the medical specialists will develop a vaccine to protect our body, however the pandemic has afflicted so much more. Our hearts and spirits have also been victims in this struggle. God’s archenemy has not lost sight of how he can use this assault on our bodies to inflict lasting damage on our spirits. Satan is using this pandemic as a weapon against the foundation of our faith, the Body and Blood of Christ.

 Since the pandemic, the government restricted the number of people who could attend gatherings or Mass celebrations. This was meant for our physical protection. However it severely impacted our spiritual nourishment. It is the sacred Body and Precious Blood of Christ which gives life to our soul. Satan has not lost sight of how he can use this tragedy in his battle with God for our souls.

We are 11 months into this pandemic and it has negatively impacted Mass attendance and receipt of the Eucharist. When we fail to eat or exercise our body, our health is detrimentally affected. This same principle applies to our soul/spirit. 

What we do not use we eventually lose, and beginning again can be difficult.

John Lloyd
Surrey

If our COVID-free Catholic churches are to be closed to congregations while COVID-not-so-free bars stay open, then perhaps we could attend Mass in bars, or set up bars at the backs of our churches. That way we get what we want, the B.C. government keeps its substantial liquor tax revenue, and everyone’s happy.

 Alternatively, we could choose to stay out of bars and restaurants until we get our churches back (if conditions are that unsafe, we don’t want to be out on the town anyway). And other people of faith in the Lower Mainland can do the same.

Graham Darling
Burnaby

I completely support Archbishop Miller in suggesting a cherry picking format has again penalized the worship community that has followed all the protocols.

First we lost Holy Week and Easter, and now with the beginning of Advent and Christmas we again are being singled out.

In these times of uncertainty and stress we need our houses of worship much more than bars, restaurants and retail stores. They may rely on this time of year for income, but we rely on our places of worship to feed our souls. I humbly ask Dr. Bonnie Henry to lift this ban on places of worship and allow us to return.

Sandra Digras
Parksville

How ironic is it that the churches that are praying for the end of the pandemic are closed down and the pubs are not. Of course, the churches do not generate the tax dollars that the pubs and other open establishments do. It makes one wonder where the priorities of the government are. Let’s hope that justice prevails so we can have limited in-person worship in our churches again.

Rita Clarke
Kelowna

I don’t understand how closing our churches will make a difference in our containment of COVID-19. In the recent months that I attended church there were usually less than 50 people. On the other hand how is it possible that the megastores can have hundreds of shoppers at a time and that is not considered a gathering? Now we can’t have anybody coming to our house. The only positive thing from the recent restrictions was making masks mandatory in indoor public spaces.

Gloria Grewal
Surrey

I wonder if The B.C. Catholic does any fact checking prior to publishing letters. One recent letter referenced the Great Barrington Declaration. Another suggested wearing a mask leads to oxygen deprivation or elevated CO2 concentrations causing neurological impairment.

An internet search indicates that the Barrington declaration was sponsored by the American Institute for Economic Research, a libertarian think tank that is part of a Koch-funded network of organizations associated with climate change denial. A link on the website allows anyone as a concerned citizen to sign it digitally without any proof of identity or qualifications. So it’s definitely a big question mark as to whether 45,000 doctors and scientists actually signed this. For letter writers to essentially discredit the World Health Organization and Canadian medical authorities’ policies for basic precautions including wearing masks is akin to enabling fake news to proliferate. 

As for facemasks, when did you last hear of surgeons and nurses in operating theatres collapsing, yet they wear masks for significantly longer periods than most of us. It seems a very small ask to request people to wear masks for the greater good . After all, it’s evident there are a significant number of asymptomatic carriers, and we could be one of them unknowingly.

Let’s put our trust in the Lord and show some love for our neighbours too.

Paul Hosford
Maple Ridge

The B.C. Catholic welcome letters to the editor on topics discussed in its pages. Letters should be no longer than 200 words and must include writer’s address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and length and do not represent the opinion of The B.C. Catholic or the Archdiocese of Vancouver. Letters can emailed to [email protected] or submitted online at bccatholic.ca/letters.