News - October 2020 RSS Feed

October 22, 2020
Recent news reports have indicated that Pope Francis expressed an opinion regarding same-sex civil unions in an upcoming documentary.  Many have contacted my office with questions, concerns, and confusion.  It is not my place to offer any clarification on these comments which I will leave to the Holy Father himself and his advisors in the Vatican. 
However, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the fact that universal truths, rooted in the natural law, do not change. Much like Jesus Christ himself, they are the same today, yesterday and forever. 
Click title for full statement

2 de octubre de 2020,

Como miembros del único Cuerpo de Cristo, debemos de estar unidos y firmes en nuestra adoración a Dios, en el anuncio del Evangelio y en el amor a nuestro prójimo. Esto es válido tanto en tiempos de relativa estabilidad como de gran perturbación, como hemos experimentado estos últimos ocho meses bajo la sombra de la pandemia del COVID-19. Con la meta general de la salvación de las almas, promulgo estas pautas para promover nuestras tareas esenciales de la celebración de los sacramentos, de la oración y de la enseñanza de la fe, preservando al mismo tiempo de las perturbaciones innecesarias provocadas por el virus. Además, nuestras acciones pueden contribuir al bien común de la comunidad en general, manifestando así nuestro amor al prójimo en un mundo hambriento de la misericordia de Dios.
A pesar de nuestra fatiga con la situación actual, la mejor información científica disponible sigue indicando que el coronavirus es significativamente más peligroso que la gripe estacional. Es, a la vez, más contagiosa y mortal que la gripe. Es lógico que debemos de acatar las precauciones necesarias en respuesta a estos riesgos tan elevados de contraer el coronavirus.
Nuestras precauciones hasta ahora han demostrado ser eficaces. Hasta la fecha, no ha habido casos de transmisión del COVID19, y, mucho menos brotes, asociados con la celebración de las Misas públicas en nuestra Diócesis. De hecho, hay evidencia, a nivel nacional, de que las iglesias que siguen las pautas de seguridad razonables no han visto que se propague el COVID-19, incluso en los casos en que los individuos asistieron involuntariamente a la Misa mientras ellos podían infectar a otras personas. Sin embargo, debemos recordar que el coronavirus es capaz de propagarse rápidamente en los entornos de la Iglesia cuando no se siguen los protocolos de seguridad. Por tanto, les agradezco su ayuda al regresar a las Misas de manera responsable y segura para, así, tener una vida parroquial más activa, y los animo a la paciencia y a la perseverancia.
Estas pautas se refieren a las actividades sacramentales, espirituales y catequéticas propias de la parroquia. Esto incluye la celebración de la Misa con público, las ocasiones de la oración comunitaria y privada, y la celebración de las clases de catecismo. Las escuelas católicas deben observar las directrices más específicas que les proporciona la Oficina de Educación.

I found this column by Bishop Donald Hying of Madison, Wisconsin to be insightful and helpful as we move closer to the November election. As Catholics, we must weigh many concerns when filling out our ballot, but abortion remains the preeminent moral issue of our times. I wanted to share Bishop Hying’s words with you as you prepare to vote. – Bishop Thomas Daly

Many faithful Catholics have asked me to offer some direction regarding conscience formation and the moral aspect of the many issues facing us as a nation, as we approach this year's presidential election. We would all agree that this election has a contentious and angry divisiveness that we have not seen in our lifetimes. This is due, in part, to the personalities, policies, and factions in play, and it certainly has been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic and social unrest (I believe that there are other, more significant and fundamental reasons for the growing tension in our society, but that's a topic for another time). At the outset, I want to remind everyone that before all else, we belong to Christ.
Read the full column by clicking on the title.

A Decree: On the Transfer of the Date of the Liturgical Celebration of the Dedication of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes
October 5, 2020
According to the General Calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary falls annually on October 7th. However, in our particular calendar for the local church in Eastern Washington, the liturgical celebration of the Dedication of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes supersedes this Marian memorial. Given the prominence of Marian devotion and the special relationship Our Lady has with our diocese, especially under the title of the Immaculate Conception, I wish to adjust our particular calendar so that the faithful may celebrate both Our Lady of the Rosary and the Dedication of the Cathedral.
Therefore, I decree that the liturgical celebration of the Dedication of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes shall be transferred from October 7th to October 8th. In accord with liturgical law, the Dedication of the Cathedral shall be celebrated with the rank of a solemnity at the cathedral and with the rank of a feast at all other locations within the diocese on October 8th. The Diocese of Spokane shall observe October 7th as the obligatory memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary as it is listed in the General Calendar.
These changes to the particular calendar of the Diocese of Spokane shall come into effect over October 7 and 8, 2020 and remain in effect for all subsequent years.
(Click on the title for the full decree)

October 2nd, 2020
As members of the one Body of Christ, we must be united and steadfast in our worship of God, the proclamation of the Gospel, and love of our neighbor. This holds true both in times of relative stability and of great disruption – as we have experienced these past eight months under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the overarching goal of the salvation of souls, I promulgate these guidelines to promote our essential tasks of the celebration of the sacraments, prayer, and the teaching of the Faith while preserving them from unnecessary disruption brought about by the virus. Furthermore, our actions can contribute to the common good of the broader community, thus manifesting our love of neighbor to a world hungering for the mercy of God.

Notwithstanding our fatigue with the current situation, the best available scientific information continues to indicate that the coronavirus is significantly more dangerous than the seasonal flu. It is both more contagious and fatal than influenza. It stands to reason that we abide by measured, heightened precautions in response to these elevated risks.

Our precautions thus far have proven effective. To date, there have been no instances of COVID-19 transmission, let alone outbreaks, associated with the celebration of public Masses in our diocese. In fact, there is nation-wide evidence that churches following reasonable safety guidelines have not seen any COVID-19 spread, even in cases when individuals unwittingly attended Mass while infectious. Nevertheless, we must remember that coronavirus is capable of spreading quickly in church settings in the absence of safety protocols.iv I therefore thank you for your contribution to our responsible and safe return to more active parish life, and I encourage you to patience and perseverance.

These guidelines pertain to sacramental, spiritual, and catechetical activities proper to the parish. This includes the celebration of public Mass, occasions of communal and private prayer, and the holding of religious study classes. Catholic schools should observe the more specific guidelines provided them by the Office of Education.

(Full Guidelines available by clicking on the title)