The Italian Church invites us to celebrate and pray even in this difficult time marked by the global pandemic. In this regard, the Liturgical Office of the Italian Bishops' Conference has prepared a brochure for this quarantine period. As is well known, the emergency Coronavirus it also imposed the closure of churches and the prohibition of sacred celebrations in the presence of the faithful.
Therefore, to remedy the lack of mass and moments of community prayer, the Italian bishops have prepared an aid. “Celebrating and praying in times of epidemics” is the title of the booklet designed for this Lenten period characterized by the danger of contagion. It is a sort of vademecum which, week by week, is enriched with texts and reflections so as not to neglect its own spiritual dimension.
Celebrate and pray even if you can't go to mass
The booklet, which can also be downloaded for free from the internet, offers every Sunday a card for personal or family prayer and reflection, in harmony with the liturgy of the day. The liturgical office of the CEI also suggests using the Liturgy of the Hours.
Specifically, you can use the app Liturgy of the Hours of the CEI, also downloadable for free. The app contains all the texts and the possibility of listening to audio. Other texts for prayer will also be proposed, including the prayer of entrustment recited by Pope Francis in front of the icon of the Madonna of Divine Love.
The Italian Church and the pandemic: "No to resignation"
"Rather than blowing on fear, rather than lingering on the distinctions, rather than shining the spotlight on limitations and prohibitions, the whole Church feels an enormous responsibility for proximity to the country". These are some considerations of the Secretariat of the CEI which reiterates: "This unprecedented situation must be able to meet a response that is neither resigned nor disarming.
The commitment with which the Italian Church, especially through its dioceses and parishes, is facing this time of crisis goes in this direction. An unexpected pandemic which, as Pope Francis recalls, constitutes a change in the era, in many ways unsettling ".
The Italian Church invites us not to forget the 'last'
In this difficult time “closeness is expressed in the willingness of priests to accompany the spiritual journey of people with listening and prayer. It is expressed in their daily celebration of the Eucharist, without the people but for all the people ".
I Bishops Italians remark that "this proximity has the face of charity". In this regard, the Italian Caritas remembers to 'do not neglect the new needy and also those who were already living in difficult situations and see their condition worsen in this time of serious emergency".
# Italian in the heart
