Priest Reponds To Trump’s Demand To Reopen Churches As Essential Businesses: “Who Says That Religious Organizations Haven’t Already Been Providing ‘Essential’ Services Without This Presidential ‘Blessing?”

This priest is not impressed.


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Over the past couple of days, Donald Trump has tried to act as though he’s some sort of religious hero by attempting to force states to allow their houses of worship to reopen to the public with an executive order, declaring them an “essential” business — when in all actuality it has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with advancing his own self-serving agenda.

While a slew of Trump-loving evangelists is clinging to Trump’s newest declaration like flies on you-know-what, one New York priest not only wasn’t impressed but found himself quite offended at Trump’s insinuation that faith leaders weren’t already doing “essential” work, even during the lockdown. And he made as much crystal clear during a segment on CNN today.

“Who says that religious organizations haven’t already been providing ‘essential’ services without this presidential ‘blessing?'” Father Edward Beck questioned on CNN with host Fredericka Whitfield today. “I am a Roman Catholic priest in the Passionist Community serving, at the moment, in New York. During this pandemic, I have buried the dead at cemeteries — with limited family members present. I have prayed with people via FaceTime and Zoom. I even heard a confession in a supermarket parking lot.”

“If instinct is to avoid harm and possible death, then, yeah, I think it has been instinct,” the priest continued. “I mean, we know that this virus is a killer. For a religious example, a rabbi in Brooklyn who contracted COVID-19 died and thousands of his congregants showed up for the funeral. Well, that’s not common sense. It’s not looking out for the common good, and certainly, I think it’s going against any instinct. So, yeah. I think the instinct has to lead us, but then our common sense also has to take over.”

Whitfield asked Father Beck what he tells members of his congregation who feel guilty about not attending services in a house of worship, to which the priest replied by quoting the Ten Commandments, saying that social distancing efforts and following face-covering guidelines were simply a prime example of “love thy neighbor.”

“I would say, throw that guilt in the river, and rather feel guilty about possibly putting your common man and woman in harm’s way,” Beck explained. “Love of God and love of neighbor, right now, means looking out for the common good. That’s how love of the other is to be transferred. So, what you should feel guilty about, going against that. Not if you can’t right now happen to participate in person. There are many other ways to access faith and spirituality. We are opening. Do it slowly, incrementally, and safely.”

This is what real spirituality means, folks. It’s not open churches and a booming economy for Donald Trump. It’s caring about other people. It’s doing what’s right, even when it’s hard. And shame on the president for trying to take that away from people.

You can watch the clip here:

Featured image via screen capture 

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