Mass attendance and disease risk

[Psalm30]

I understand that a lot of people in close contact pose a risk for spreading disease, and I know that church/Mass is a place where a lot of people are in close contact. I wonder, though, when the risk of getting sick is a legitimate reason to miss Mass and when it isn’t. My DH and my MIL are both practicing Catholics who attend Mass on a regular basis. However, ever since I’ve known her, MIL seems to view church, in particular, as a breeding ground for disease. From what I know, years ago, someone in her family came home from Christmas Eve Mass vomiting, and I guess it was assumed the illness was contracted at church. Idk

When FIL was undergoing cancer treatment, neither he nor MIL went to Mass for months, not because he couldn’t physically get there but because he couldn’t afford to get sick and she couldn’t afford to get sick because then she wouldn’t be able to care for him. At least once, DH suggested he and I not go to church before visiting MIL and FIL because what if we got germs at church and then passed them along to MIL and FIL.

When DS1 was a year and a half, he came down with a stomach flu on Christmas Day after going to Mass on Christmas Eve. MIL and DH automatically assumed he got the bug at church. I guess it’s possible that he got it at church…but I’d say there are also other possibilities that they didn’t consider.

Four years ago, when I was pregnant with DS2, MIL, DH, and I were visiting my family in another state, and our flight home was on a Sunday. I don’t remember exactly the reason, but my MIL suggested we not go to Mass because something was said on the news about the flu, and I was pregnant. DH took it into consideration, and both of them left the decision to me, the pregnant person. I pointed out to DH that the airplane we were about to get on later that day was a risk as well—because of there being a lot of people in close contact—and he said, “Well, we can’t avoid the plane, but we can avoid going to church.” or something like that. We ended up going to Mass. No one got sick.

So, now with the corona virus crisis, MIL is staying away from church, and DH is being extra vigilant. I’m just wondering how much of this is “bias” toward church being “the great house of germs” and how much is legitimate. Thoughts?

 

[Pattylt]

bias” toward church being “the great house of germs” and how much is legitimate. Thoughts?

The church is every bit as much a house of germs as any crowd situation. Are the flu and corona virus present in your community? Are you elderly or immune compromised is any way? Are you currently healthy? Are you providing care to anyone that is at high risk?

It’s legitimate to be concerned. It’s also legitimate to go out into crowds if the risk is very low. Only you, in your city and circumstances can answer.

 

[maryjk]

Maybe because people feel obligated to go.

I know of people that will show up for Mass, after spending all week in the house sick.

When I say something, they say that they just have to be there. As though going to Mass is going to heal them. Or if they don’t go, they are somehow sinning.

 

[halogirl]

A few years ago we had a really bad snow week called ‘the beast from the east’. Was during my RCIA. The priests said to us ‘we are cancelling mass because otherwise (particularly) older people would risk their lives getting here on fear of sin’. I tend not to see people seeing church as a health risk when tbh sometimes they should. case in point a few weeks ago we had a life threatening storm here and poster on CAF suggested I should risk going bc if I died on the way I’d go to heaven.

 

[maryjk]

Just a portion of a letter from our Archbishop.

1. Please follow all instructions from public health officials.
2. People are asked not to attend Mass if they feel sick.
3. For the foreseeable future, I hereby dispense from the obligation to attend Mass anyone with a serious underlying medical condition for whom contracting the Coronavirus may be a life threatening situation.

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

Maybe because people feel obligated to go.

I know of people that will show up for Mass, after spending all week in the house sick.

When I say something, they say that they just have to be there. As though going to Mass is going to heal them. Or if they don’t go, they are somehow sinning.

This is true. Living in fear of Hell because you miss mass. There is no way of saying how sick you must be before you don’t have to go.