By Vatican News staff writer

The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, has joined UK faith leaders in writing to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying there is “no scientific justification for the wholesale suspension of public worship” due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

A national lockdown is due to come into effect on 5 November.

Public worship is secure

In a letter, faith representatives say, “We strongly disagree with the decision to suspend public worship during this time.”

They also highlight “the contribution made by the UK’s faith communities in responding to the pandemic.”

The letter states that “public worship is secure” and that in the last six months faith communities have “collaborated closely with Ministers and officials to keep people safe.” 

The faith leaders note that during the first period of restrictions, they ceased public worship in buildings and moved to an online approach.

Commitment of faith communities

They also underline that they have “provided significant resources to support our communities and our nation, from practical support such as foodbanks and volunteering, to promoting social cohesion, mental health and coping during these months.”

The letter stresses that “common worship is constitutive of our identity, and essential for our self-understanding. Without the worshipping community, our social action and support cannot be energised and sustained indefinitely.”

Common worship for health and well being

It adds, “Common worship is also necessary to sustain the health and wellbeing of faith community members engaged in caring for others whether paid or voluntary.”

“The health benefits of attending worship are well known, and the burden of psychological and physical ill-health from isolation and during the pandemic are increasingly well understood. This is especially so for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people. Public Health England’s own review found that faith communities were an important connect for Black Asian and Minority Ethnic people during this period,” the letter states.

Moreover, it reads, “it is a well-known and well-studied phenomenon that people turn to faith communities as a way of coping with trauma and grief.” 

By Vatican News staff writer

Americans went to the polls on Tuesday for national and local elections.

The election for president was still undecided early Wednesday morning, with vote counting continuing throughout the country. In the United States, the president is not elected by popular vote; rather voters in each state choose a number of electors based in part on the population of the state. With 538 electoral votes at stake, a candidate needs 270 to be elected president.

As each state tallies votes separately, it is possible that preliminary results of the election may not be known for several days. Legal challenges could delay a final result even longer.

Incumbent Donald Trump, the Republican party candidate, claimed victory in key states early on Wednesday, prompting widespread criticism as the final results in those states were still uncertain. The incumbent president also threatened legal action, saying his opponents were trying to “disenfranchise voters.” Democratic party candidate Joe Biden also spoke on Wednesday morning, urging patience as results came in. “I’m optimistic about this outcome,” said the former US vice president.

Tuesday’s election will also determine the composition of the United States Congress. Despite several close races, Republicans are expected to retain control of the Senate, while Democrats will continue to hold the House of Representatives.

By Devin Watkins

Pope Francis began his Wednesday General Audience noting that the event must “unfortunately” be held once again in the Vatican Apostolic Library without the presence of the faithful.

He called it a reminder of the importance of respecting the directives laid out by political and health authorities.

He also invited everyone to pray for those who are ill with Covid-19 and for the medical personnel working hard to treat them.

Mysterious reality

The Pope then continued his catechesis on Jesus’ example of prayer.

“Jesus’ prayer is a mysterious reality, of which we intuit only something, but which allows us to interpret His entire mission from the right perspective.”

Jesus, added the Pope, immersed Himself often in intimacy with God the Father, “in the Love that every soul thirsts for.”

Rudder that guides His course

Pope Francis focused his reflections on a passage in the Gospel of Mark (1:32,34-38), in which Jesus heals many sick people late one evening before rising early to pray in a deserted place alone.

After the disciples find Jesus to say the whole village of Capernaum is looking for Him, Jesus declares that He must preach to the other towns as well.

“Prayer is the rudder that guides Jesus’ course.”

This, said the Pope, means that Jesus lets God guide His path, and not the desires and adulation of others.

He went on to draw four lessons from Jesus’ witness of prayer.

Dawning of the day

Jesus, said Pope Francis, teaches us above all that prayer should be “the first desire of the day.”

“A day lived without prayer risks transforming into a bothersome or tedious experience: all that happens to us could turn into a badly endured and blind fate.”

However, Jesus demonstrates the need to be obedient and to listen, since prayer is first of all “an encounter with God.”

“The problems of everyday life, then, do not become obstacles, but appeals from God Himself to listen  to and encounter those who are in front of us.”

Persistence

Secondly, said the Pope, Jesus teaches us that prayer is an art that must be practiced “with insistence.”

Though anyone can pray sporadically, Jesus reminds us that prayer requires discipline, practice, and constant effort.

“Consistent prayer produces a progressive transformation, makes us strong in times of tribulation, gives us the grace to be supported by Him who loves us and always protects us.”

Solitary and silent

Thirdly, Jesus’ prayer is always solitary.

“Those who pray do not escape from the world, but prefer deserted places.”

In the silence of prayer, said Pope Francis, our innermost desires and truths emerge into the light.

But most importantly, he added, silence is where God speaks. “Every person needs a space for him- or herself, to be able to cultivate the inner life, where actions find meaning.”

To and fro in God

Finally, Pope Francis said, prayer as taught by Jesus is the place where we find that “everything comes from God and returns to Him.”

He noted that prayer helps us to rediscover “the right dimension in our relationship with God, our Father, and with all creation.”

Peace and joy, concluded the Pope, is what we will find if we follow Jesus’ example of prayer.