Br. Nicholas Hartman, O.P., on Religion and the Pandemic

"All of us experienced how the pandemic brought life to a halt last spring in a way that normalized what seemed unfathomable only a few weeks beforehand. For Catholics, among what became “normalized” was the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass in order to slow the spread of the disease. Even now, things have not in many places returned to what they were pre-pandemic, and I imagine, given some of what I have read and conversations that I’ve had, that this must be a little confusing. How can Sunday Mass be dispensed from, unlike most moral obligations, if religious worship is so important?"

In a recent commentary, Brother Nicholas Hartman, O.P., reflected on the necessity of Christian worship, the relaxation of this obligation due to a public emergency, and how this need has not been done away with.

To access Br. Nicholas' complete post, please visit: 

Dominicana: The Virtue of Religion and the Pandemic (12 MAR 21)