Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Since the onset of the pandemic just a year ago, the Bishops of Ohio have worked together during this unprecedented time with the assistance of government and health professionals to lead and protect all those entrusted to our pastoral care.   By the grace of God and the painstaking efforts by so many to follow Covid- 19 protocols, coupled with the expanding availability of vaccines, we are making progress in our fight against this deadly scourge.  What a blessing it will be for us to be in person in our churches this year to celebrate the Paschal Mystery, culminating in the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.

In our shared hope of eradicating this virus and encouraging ongoing return of the faithful to Holy Mass and the Sacraments each week, you are invited to continue to follow all the essential protocols of hand sanitizing, wearing masks and social distancing.  These efforts are working to the point that we are in a much more hopeful place than we were even a few months ago.

At the same time, you are encouraged to receive a vaccine.  To reiterate the teaching of the Church with regard to the vaccine options: if you have the opportunity to choose a vaccine, you should choose Pfizer or Moderna.  While the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is made from cell lines originating from an aborted human fetus, it should be taken only if it is the only option available.

As we move toward herd immunity, notwithstanding a spike in the virus, it is our sincere hope that soon we can return to the regular celebration of Mass with full capacity in our churches, and thus lift the dispensation of the obligation to attend Sunday Mass. We are advised that parish festivals likely can take place this summer, preferably outdoors, following the necessary protocols.  Nevertheless, we all need to remain vigilant.

We look forward with eager longing to when we can all be together around the altar of the Lord without any restrictions.  In the meantime, let us continue to do all that we need to do to overcome the virus, and rely upon the guidance of government and health officials so that we can return to some sense of normal.

Have a blessed Holy Week!

Sincerely in Christ,

 

The Most Rev. Dennis M. Schnurr

Archdiocese of Cincinnati

 

The Most Rev. David J. Bonnar

Diocese of Youngstown

The Most Rev. Robert J. Brennan

Diocese of Columbus

The Most Rev. Daniel E. Thomas

Diocese of Toledo

The Most Rev. Bohdan J. Danylo

Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of

St. Josaphat in Parma

The Most Rev. Edward C. Malesic

Diocese of Cleveland

The Most Rev. Jeffrey M. Monforton

Diocese of Steubenville

The Most Rev. John Michael Botean

St. George Byzantine Catholic Diocese

 

 

Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr

The comfortable illusion that the turn of a calendar page makes everything new again was shattered for Americans in early January. After a year marked by a global pandemic, civil disruption and millions of lost jobs, 2021 began with an appalling, deadly riot at the seat of our national government.

Our country is wounded and its citizens are hurting. It is only natural at a time like this that we look to our civic leaders to make things right. In his new encyclical, Fratelli tutti (“All Brothers and Sisters”), Pope Francis recognizes the crucial role of politics in democratic societies.

“It is true that religious ministers must not engage in the party politics that are the proper domain of the laity,” he writes, “but neither can they renounce the political dimension of life itself, which involves a constant attention to the common good and a concern for integral human development” (FT 276). He calls for “a better kind of politics, one truly at the service of the common good” and laments that “Sadly, politics today often takes forms that hinder progress towards a different world” (FT 154).

Indeed, a bi-partisan incivility has marred political discussion in the U.S. for many years now and has only escalated. It is easy to say politicians are responsible because so many of them have led by bad example. However, politicians are not known for doing what is unpopular or likely to lose them votes. The hateful rhetoric members of both parties direct at their opponents is as much a symptom of the national mood as it is a cause.

We are a very divided country. And from where does all division ultimately come? Pope Francis reminds us in a reflection on the Lord’s Prayer. He writes: “We all know that the devil is ‘nettlesome,’ the one who always tries to divide persons, families, nations and peoples.” It is Satan who divides, while God unites.

The basis of unity among people who disagree – even over such important issues as religion, morality and the proper role of government – is our common humanity: We are all created in the same divine image. Based on that, the life and dignity of the human person is the foundational principle of Catholic social justice teaching from which all others follow. The toxic political environment in our country is a violation of that principle.

As Catholics, part of our responsibility as faithful citizens of our country is to hold our elected leaders accountable for displaying civility, decency and integrity, in addition to providing for the common good. At the same time, we need to display those traits in our own behavior.

As Catholics, part of our responsibility as faithful citizens of our country is to hold our elected leaders accountable for displaying civility, decency and integrity, in addition to providing for the common good. At the same time, we need to display those traits in our own behavior.

As Catholics, part of our responsibility as faithful citizens of our country is to hold our elected leaders accountable for displaying civility, decency and integrity, in addition to providing for the common good. At the same time, we need to display those traits in our own behavior.

As Catholics, part of our responsibility as faithful citizens of our country is to hold our elected leaders accountable for displaying civility, decency and integrity, in addition to providing for the common good. At the same time, we need to display those traits in our own behavior.