Dioceses of Pittsburgh, Greensburg update COVID procedures
With the obligation for Catholics to attend Mass returning this weekend, the dioceses of Pittsburgh and Greensburg have released updates on how Mass will be conducted given the surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant.
All ministers of the Eucharist in the Diocese of Pittsburgh are being required to wear masks regardless of their vaccination status, along with greeters and ushers. And, within the diocese, outdoor services will be allowed to continue, reversing a previous directive that they would end on Sept. 1.
In a letter to clergy in the diocese, Bishop David Zubik wrote, “Our response to the pandemic falls under the commandment, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ For us as members of the Church of Pittsburgh, any response to COVID must be guided by the Catholic social principles of solidarity and the common good. It is impossible in these circumstances to make decisions that affect one person alone. COVID affects the whole community, so we must act with the whole community in mind.”
Last Friday, Zubik and Bishop Larry J. Kulick of the Diocese of Greensburg participated in an online meeting with other Catholic bishops about safety amid the ongoing pandemic. A joint statement concedes, “It is now evident that this global health crisis could linger for months or years to come.”
The statement also notes that masks are not mandated, but “each parishioner is strongly encouraged to make a responsible decision about the use of masks and vaccinations.” It points out that all of Pennsylvania’s bishops, Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict have been vaccinated.
As of Friday, the Diocese of Greensburg is requiring masking for anyone volunteering on behalf of a parish regardless of their vaccination status, including ushers, greeters, servers, volunteers at events, those visiting the sick or homebound or any other indoor ministry. It also strongly recommending the use of masks for those attending worship services or indoor events. Staff of parishes and the diocese are required to wear face coverings in common areas, and clergy should wear masks during the distribution of Holy Communion. Lectors and cantors may remove their masks while singing or reading.