Cardinal Cupich: Chicago
church bells toll for those affected by coronavirus
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| Facade of Saint James Chapel in Chicago, Illinois (AFP) |
With everyone in the US state of Illinois under a
“stay-at-home” order, Cardinal Blase Cupich describes what the Archdiocese of
Chicago is doing to comfort the faithful.
By Devin Watkins
The bells of every Catholic church in the Archdiocese of
Chicago have been ringing 5 times a day for the many people affected by the
Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.
As of Wednesday, over 1,500 people had been infected and 16
had died in the US state of Illinois, with Chicago the state’s worst-hit city.
Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, told
Vatican Radio that the bells were tolling for the sick (9am), healthcare
workers (12am), first responders and essential workers (3pm), leaders and
peoples of all countries (6pm), and those who have died from Covid-19 (9pm).
“We are looking for ways in which we can try and keep people
together,” he said. One way is by live-streaming daily Mass for homebound
Catholics.
Opportunity in social distancing
Perhaps the idea of “social distancing” will mark 2020. It
has certainly had an effect on family life and the global economy.
With families around the world stuck at home, Cardinal
Cupich said it is a time for them to think creatively “about how to negotiate
all that time together.”
Despite the difficulties, it might even be an opportunity to
slow down and reflect on the important things in life.
“We live in a very fast-paced society, and many times
families see each other coming and going and don’t spend that much time
together,” he said. “So this is going to be an opportunity for that kind of
sharing to take place.”
Intimacy in distance
Cardinal Cupich considers the coronavirus emergency a time
“in which the Lord is calling us to be healed.”
He said Jesus’ healing of the man born blind in last
Sunday’s Gospel reading (Jn 9:1-41) shows us how the Lord draws near to us in
our pain.
“He had a very strong act of intimacy with this man, healing
his eyes through this anointing of them with the mud He made from His own
spit.”
While we are currently unable to draw physically near to one
another, Cardinal Cupich said we can “keep each other close to our hearts, and
healing can take place when that happens.”
He said we need to use this time to “reclaim our common
humanity so that we can begin to see that we are all in this together.”
Facing contagion of violence and racism
Once this coronavirus emergency is over, the Cardinal said
we will hopefully be able to tackle the other diseases affecting humanity, like
“the contagion of violence and vengeance in our streets, or the infection of
racism and hatred in our world, and also the plague of poverty that afflicts so
many people.”
Cardinal Cupich offered one more recommendation for the millions
of people whose lives have been affected by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.
“We would do well not to squander all that we’re going to
learn in these days about our common humanity and vulnerability, but also how
we are valued all in the same way by God. That, I think, is an agenda for going
forward.”
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