Below is a text from a high Vatican source, a message written for private use but approved and slightly revised by the Pope (who may have even suggested to circulate it), by one of the secretaries of the Supreme Pontiff Francis, Monsignor Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, who sent it today to a number of people.
Quo vadis, Domine? (Lord, where are you going?)
It is an episode attributed to the apostle Peter who, according to tradition, fled from Rome to escape Nero's persecutions, he would have met Christ, who carried a cross on his shoulders and was going to Rome. Peter asked Jesus «Domine, quo vadis?,» Or "Lord, where are you going?," And with Jesus' answer, "Eo Romam iterum crucifigi", "I am going to Rome to be crucified again," Peter understood that he had to turn back to face martyrdom.
Peter had, humanly speaking, every right to escape to save his life from persecution and perhaps in order to found other communities and other churches, but in reality, according to the logic of the world, Peter acted like Satan, that is, thinking like men and not according to God. Jesus "turning around, said to Peter:
«Get behind me Satan! You are a scandal to me, because you do not mind the things of God, but those of men! "" (Matt. 16:23).
Christ, in the Gospel of John, speaking of the "Good Shepherd" and the mercenary, calls himself the "Good Shepherd", who not only takes care of the sheep but knows them personally and even gives his life for them. Jesus is the sure "guide" of the people who seek a path that leads to God and to their brothers.
In the epidemic of fear that we are all experiencing, because of the coronavirus pandemic, we all risk behaving as hired workers and not as shepherds.
We cannot and must not judge, but the image of Christ comes to mind, who meets Peter frightened and escaping, not to reproach him but to go and die in his place. We think of all the frightened and abandoned souls because we pastors follow civil instructions - which is right and certainly necessary at the moment to avoid contagion - but we risk putting aside divine instructions - which is a pity. We think like men and not according to God. We place ourselves among the scared and not among the doctors, nurses, volunteers, workers and fathers of families who are on the front line. I think of the people who live on receiving the Eucharist, because they believe in the real presence of Christ who gives himself in Communion. I think of these people who now have to be content with following the Mass on streaming. I think of souls who need spiritual comfort and need to confess. I think of the people who will certainly abandon the Church when this nightmare is over, because the Church abandoned them when they needed her.
It is good that the churches remain open. Priests must be on the front line. The faithful must find courage and comfort by looking to their pastors. They must know that they can run at any time and take refuge in their churches and parishes and find them open and welcoming. The Church must truly be going out, even with a "toll-free number" which anyone could call to be comforted, to ask for confession, for communion, or to ask on behalf of their loved ones.
We must increase home visits, house by house, using all the necessary precautions to avoid contagion, but never closing ourselves, keeping vigil. Otherwise, what happens is that meals, pizzas, are brought home, and not communion for those who want to communicate because they are elderly, sick and needy. What happens is that supermarkets, newsstands and corner stores remain open, but not churches.
The government has a duty to guarantee material care and support to the people but we have a duty to do the same for souls. Never let it be said: " I don't go to a church anymore because the Church didn't come to see me when I needed it ."
We therefore apply all the necessary measures but do not let ourselves be conditioned by fear. We ask for the grace and courage to behave according to God and not according to men!
Don Yoannis Lahzi Gaid
Casa Santa Marta, Vatican City
13 March 2020
Below is the video of today's Santa Marta Mass with Monsignor Gaid in the front row, visibly agitated. At the beginning of the Mass Pope Francis alluded to the problem of the closing of the churches and how that was unacceptable rigidity. "Drastic measures are not always good." In the homily he called out clericalism.