Keep churches open!

Closing churches is utterly unnecessary. People can gather to pray before the reserved sacrament while maintaining the “social distancing” advised by public health experts. Modest-sized Masses can be conducted in ways that do not irresponsibly risk spreading the virus. The same holds for baptisms and funerals. In some circumstances, pastors can limit attendance to immediate family. But simply suspending the sacraments suggests that the Church lives in accord with the world’s priorities. ^[1]