Singing in California churches banned

[TepeyacTraveler]

Outrage after California bans singing in churches amid coronavirus pandemic | Fox News

I’m not even sure what to say? Protest day after day after day with no masks, but people can’t sing in church? Terrible discrimination.

Anyone from California? Is your church going to listen to this nonsense?

 

[Funvod]

I’m currently in the Midwestern US. My Church has banned singing.
I wouldn’t call it nonsense. It seems like a sensible way to combat the virus spreading.

 

[Beryllos]

Well, the virus is spread efficiently by singing (and other loud vocalization). Since Mass reopened in my diocese, there has been no singing except sometimes the cantor up in the loft.

If you’re saying we shouldn’t need a state order, I agree. We should ban singing as directed by the bishops.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Catholics do not need to sing at Mass. Daily Masses usually don’t have singing even when there’s no COVID.
So this is a minor matter for us.

 

[johnnykins]

Given the abysmal state of music in the vast majority of Catholic churches, it strikes me as a decree that can only help worship. Deo gratia. If it helps slow the spread of Carona-19, all the better.

Too bad the Bishops didn’t ban singing 30 years ago after it was totally obvious that the quality of music in the Church had fallen to such depths.

 

[Irishmom2]

Protest day after day after day with no masks, but people can’t sing in church?

Two wrongs don’t make a right.

 

[JulianN]

Anyone from California? Is your church going to listen to this nonsense?

Hopefully, this is irrelevant for Catholic churches, since they should have already been listening to their bishops and not singing anyway.

 

[Funvod]

This is just another piece of evidence pointing how much this is being used to push social agenda.

…Of staying healthy. I feel like that’s a pretty important agenda.

 

[Mythicalbio]

I hope the dispensation last as long as the pandemic. If you have to go to the hospital get viaticum beforehand and that will be it. I surely am not going to some place where there is voluntary singing.

 

[dscath]

Anyone from California? Is your church going to listen to this nonsense?

Yes, in fact our entire diocese is listening to this prudent action rather than jeopardizing the health of those who have finally been able to make it to mass.

 

[Funvod]

If that were the goal, why weren’t the protests banned?

No clue. I don’t know anything about the protests.
Fortunately I’m not referring to the protests, I’m referring to singing in Church.

 

[puer.dei]

Is your church going to listen to this nonsense?

It’s called “safety,” not “nonsense.”

 

[pnewton]

We should ban singing as directed by the bishops.

Those who live where a bishop has directed it has. Understand no bishop binds another on this matter. I hope it does happen here, though it hasn’t yet.

 

[Funvod]

So you don’t think it’s weird that there’s a double standard?

I think it’s weird that you’re trying to get this thread off topic.
If you want to talk about the overall U.S. response to COVID, make a thread on it. This is about singing in Church, of which my opinion is that such a measure is very reasonable.

 

[dscath]

ah, no matter the topic, there always is a political element, isn’t there.

 

[puer.dei]

I’m sure the families of the 129,000-plus who have died just in the U.S. will be glad to know their loved ones died of “the sniffles.”

 

[babochka]

Catholics do not need to sing at Mass. Daily Masses usually don’t have singing even when there’s no COVID.
So this is a minor matter for us.

It is not a minor matter for Eastern Catholics, particularly those of us in California. It affects us deeply and immediately. Singing and chanting (which has also been banned) are integral to our worship.

 

[Funvod]

W-well I didn’t want to get the sniffles

That’s a little tone deaf, don’t you think? The disease has killed people. I have friends and family who are pretty high risk and would stand a very good chance of dying should they get the disease. I’m sure other users could say the same.
It’s not so much the sniffles as avoiding a potential death.

 

[dscath]

Sorry I’m too high test to not sing in church. Imagine telling St. Peter

St. Peter does not determine our salvation; Christ does…and I don’t think he has a scorecard to keep track if we sang at Mass or not to decide if we gain entry into heaven.

 

[twf]

I’d imagine the more traditional churches wouldn’t care

This seems to be an American thing…“traditional Catholic” = “not overly concerned about COVID”. Certainly doesn’t seem to be the case here in Canada. Our archdiocese is pretty traditional…at our Cathedral, communion is distributed at the altar rail and at least half the faithful kneel - at all 7 Sunday Masses and 4 daily Masses…there’s lot of incense, chant, and Latin normally…but for COVID, the archbishop is asking that congregational singing be minimized. The choir is still singing away beautifully up in the loft and priests are still chanting from the safe distance of the sanctuary…but yes, those in the pews are being very careful out of charity for their neigbhours.

Communion in the hand is recommended, but communion on the tongue is being accommodated. In both cases, the priest / deacon is behind a plexiglass screen, with a slot for his hand, built on top of the altar rail to minimize air exchange between minister and communicant.