Now, is the "appropriate time" Cardinal Collins? Now? A year after the fact? Four months after you shut down the Mass?

Hinting just a week ago that he would threaten to get the laity riled up to write General Secretary Ford of the Ontario Politburo about the abrogation of religious freedoms, Cardinal Thomas Collins has today, after missing it for the last twelve months, hit the broad side of the barn. Let us all rejoice and be glad. Playing on a scriptural theme, according to Collins, "Now is the acceptable appropriate time for us to respectfully amplify our concerns."  

No Eminence, the acceptable and appropriate time was four months ago, even twelve months ago when this abomination began. On February 27, I wrote:

"The Cardinal, in a letter earlier this week, seemed to threaten that he might, in a rare moment of courage, just perhaps, possibly could just might actually, consider and actually may beg, plead or ask, Comrade Ford and the Ontario Politburo to relent. He then had the temerity to ask the good people of the Archdiocese of Toronto to engage in a letter or telephone campaign to implore, beg, cajole, beseech and otherwise grovel to our politburo masters if we could "please, Sir, may I have some more," Mass when it was he, himself, that shut it down."

Addressing the laity in Doug Ford style salutation, "My Dear Friends," Collins has just discovered that the public worship of God is more "essential" than renting out a church hall to a group of fifty for a movie crew.

"A few days ago, a movie scout contacted one of our churches to inquire whether the basement hall could be used to feed a crew of 50 people. “We have dispensation from the province and strict protocols will be enforced.” Later in the week, the priest presided at a funeral in the same church, limited to 10 people inside (including himself).

Which of these do we consider more essential?" Card. Collins

How ironic. How hypocritical of the man who shut down the public celebration of the Mass after the Feast of Christ the King last November. Four months ago. He did that. Not the ignoramus Ford. Collins did it. Collins has sat by watching this abomination of the Ontario government and only now, four months later, has decided to rile up the laity. It won't' happen. The people are depressed, disheartened and beaten from spiritual and psychological warfare and abuse. Ford's diktats removed the already limiting thirty percent occupancy to ten persons. Rather than fight this unconstitutional attack on religious freedom or join with courageous evangelical protestant pastors in their protests and court challenges, Cardinal Collins did nothing and even went so far as to exceed the province's actions, shutting down public Mass entirely, limiting the Sacraments and shuttering churches. He can whine that he asked priests to open churches and reach out, many did, many did not. He asked, he did not order and now regrets it. He went along with the Premier and his so-called, "virtuous" public health officials and now has buyer's remorse. "I do not believe that our elected officials and medical officers of health consciously intend to supress (there typo) religious freedom," wrote Collins. 

In the letter, he urges the laity to write to the Premier which can be done on this web page link provided by the Cardinal in his letter. A Place to Worship

"The province has relaxed restrictions in Grey (Lockdown) regions, with retailers permitted to operate at 25 percent capacity. Yet places of worship, regardless of whether they seat 100 or 1,000 people, must remain at a hard cap of 10 people. Next week, a funeral at St. Michael’s Cathedral (capacity 1,500) will be capped at 10 people, while around the corner dozens can enter the local liquor store and thousands will visit the Eaton Centre. This makes no sense."  Card. Collins

Good grief, Your Eminence, has this writer not been telling YOU this for four months? 

Tell me, Your Eminence. Why would you expect Doug Ford to respond to us, or to listen to us, or to respond to our letters or needs when you yourself refuse to do so? You have ignored the pleas of the laity and now you expect the Premier to do otherwise. 

A second Holy Week is on the chopping block, Your Eminence. And you did it. 

I can hear the Premier laughing at you already.

cardinal-collins---archdiocesan-mailing-list-communication---march-5-2021.pdf (archtoronto.org)