Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces, New Mexico 
A US priest has become the first clergyman in the country to have amended a previously declared diocesan ban on public Masses since the coronavirus outbreak.
Bishop Peter Baldacchino of Las Cruces, New Mexico has lifted a diocesan ban on the public celebration of Mass, issued guidelines for distribution of Holy Communion, and told priests they may resume sacramental ministry if they follow state-ordered health precautions.
“We [as priests] have been called by Christ and ordained to serve the people of the Diocese of Las Cruces, to bring them hope and consolation during this difficult time,” he said.
His announcement came days after New Mexico’s governor banned gatherings of more than five people – a restriction Bishop Baldacchino said priests must observe, even as he expressed objection to it.
The bishop also made provision for priests to resume weddings and funerals in accordance with state regulations on social distancing, and granted permission for them to be held outside on Church property for the duration of the pandemic.
“These past few weeks have allowed me to further analyse the situation and discern a safe way to proceed,” he said.
“It has become increasingly clear that the state shutdown will last for some time,” he contuned.
“Depriving the Faithful of the nourishment offered through the Eucharist was indeed a difficult decision, one that I deemed necessary until I had further clarity regarding our current state of affairs, but it cannot become the status quo for the foreseeable future.”
Dioceses across the US have suspended the public celebration of Mass, and many have restricted priests’ ability to hear confessions and anoint the sick.
While priests in some dioceses have tried to find ways to provide sacramental ministry, including drive-in Masses and Eucharistic adoration, some have banned these practices.
Bishop Baldacchino said the crisis had brought about “a time for renewal”.
“In the events of these days and weeks the Lord is calling us out of our comfort zone,” he said, adding “He [God] is calling us to seek new ways to reach the people.
“In addition to this mission with which we are entrusted, we also have the mission to keep people safe. The two must be equally pursued.
“While it is true that we need to take every reasonable precaution to reduce the spread of coronavirus, it is equally true that we offer the greatest ‘essential service’ to our people.”
