Sarah Pulliam Bailey of the Washington Post did a logical thing early this week as the Coronavirus headlines jumped into stun mode. She put out a message on Twitter asking readers and other journalists for input on some logical story ideas linking the arrival of Great Lent during what some are saying could turn into a plague season.
We are, of course, talking about story angles other than that Ash Wednesday statement that is so familiar to Catholics and others in Western rites: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Bailey produced a story that includes several of the major themes discussed in this week’s “Crossroads” podcast (click here to tune that in). Here’s that headline: “Sip from the common cup? On Ash Wednesday, coronavirus and the flu have religious leaders tweaking rituals.” And here’s a crucial chunk of material from that story:
The outbreak that began in China has since spread to other countries. In the Philippines, Catholic priests were urged to sprinkle ashes on parishioners instead of marking their foreheads through direct contact. In Italy, several churches closed for Ash Wednesday. …
Spokespeople for many of the largest Christian denominations in the United States said this week that they have not issued special directives for their churches but are closely monitoring guidance from government officials. The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey told clergy and lay leaders Tuesday that anyone administering Communion should wash their hands, preferably with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and keep their distance during the greeting ritual known as the “passing of the peace.” …
Houses of worship are one of the few places in American life where people of all ages and backgrounds intermingle on a regular basis. And many churches are on the front lines of assisting people who are sick, hosting clinics to provide flu shots or other health services and posting signs encouraging hand-washing.
Year after year, the penitential season of Lent — which leads to Holy Week and Easter (Pascha in the Christian East) -- does receive some attention from the press.
After all, Ash Wednesday offers poignant images and it’s always easy to cover a religious event with a feature photo (and often little more). Editors seem to have a special fondness for images of Democrats with ashes on their foreheads (Hello Joe Biden).
Then there is the whole “giving up one thing for Lent” riff, a small-t “tradition” that (as far as I can tell) has little known link to ancient Christian traditions for the season.
It’s easy, in the age of social media, to do a few searches and figure out what the world of Facebook and/or Twitter is “giving up” this year. For lots of people, of course, the thing to “give up for Lent” is social media itself. Good luck with that.
This “one thing” Lent thing always offers a few stories and commentaries. Take this Reuters story, for example: “Pope to Catholics: For Lent, give up trolling.” We are not, of course, talking about fishing.
VATICAN CITY, Feb 26 (Reuters) — During Lent, Catholics are called on to give up something, like sweets. On Wednesday, Pope Francis added a modern twist to the list of things to quit during the season and beyond: insulting people on social media. …
Lent, he said in partially improvised remarks, "is a time to give up useless words, gossip, rumours, tittle-tattle and speak to God on a first name basis," he said. "We live in an atmosphere polluted by too much verbal violence, too many offensive and harmful words, which are amplified by the internet. … Today, people insult each other as if they were saying 'Good Day.'"
Then again, there was also this blunt headline on a Religion News Service commentary from Father Thomas Reese: " I am giving up Trump for Lent.”
This year, readers can also expect lots of valid coverage of a food story that is relevant to everyone who is fasting in Great Lent — especially Orthodox Christians and Eastern-Rite Catholics who fast from meat and dairy during the entire season (not just Fridays) and Holy Week.
I am talking about the growing number of plant-based “meat” substitutes in the marketplace. Click here for a Clemente Lisi post on that topic entitled, “Making the impossible possible: Can Catholics now eat plant-based 'meat' during Lent?” Click here for another GetReligion post — “Kosher sort-of shrimp and cheeseburgers: Do plant-based foods violate spirit of biblical law?” — about a fine Washington Post story on religious questions linked to the growth of this industry.
There are so many valid questions. Is a plant-based burger “Lenten”? Well, if the point of giving up meat is to simplify life and to identify with the poor, which Lenten item represents simplicity — a meatless burger or a crab-cakes dinner?
Here’s another strange Lenten question that someone just sent me: Why is the first Saturday in Lent the biggest day on the calendar for tattoo parlors during most years?
Beats me. However, I do know this: Great Lent is supposed to be a season of confession, repentance, forgiveness and spiritual disciplines.
For example, Catholics are supposed to go to Confession during Lent before receiving Holy Communion on Easter. However, the few statistics that are available indicate that the number of American Catholics who go to Confession — who EVER go — is shockingly low.
In the past, some Catholic leaders have held campaigns to encourage Catholics to go to Confession during Lent. A common title for these efforts is this: “The light is on for you.” Are these campaigns having any impact? That’s a valid news story, since Confession plays a crucial role in Catholic sacramental theology.
Here’s another potential story. It’s an ancient Christian tradition for believers to increase their giving to the poor during Lent. Does this have any noticeable impact on ministries for the homeless, work with women in crisis pregnancies, donations to soup kitchens, etc.?
There are always valid news stories linked to Lent. This year, there is a bumper crop. Do we see this in the mainstream press?
Enjoy the podcast, and pass it on.